Chris' Little Devils
by gift of the gabz
Summary: Season Six Rewrite: Chris' two kids who have a knack for trouble are unleashed on the unsuspecting past. Will they meet their family, and given these two are a lot more powerful than they look, and are willing to sacrifice anything for family, what could possibly go wrong. Many of the characters you know and love plus a few O/C's.
1. Forget Me Not

Chris glanced around P3, walking over to the bar he sat down desolately, his dark brown hair moving to it's rightful place in front of his emerald green eyes. He knew something was wrong but for the life of him couldn't figure it out. Sighing Chris leaned over the bar and poured himself a shot.

"It's a bit early for that, don't you think?" Chris' newest charge Natalie moved out of his room and stretched lazily across the stool next to him. Her finger tips drew patterns in his arms trying to draw him out of his misery. When that didn't work she gave up and moved forward with her plans. "Thanks for letting me stay here last night after having that whole 'magic exists, your destined for greater things' crap thrown at me yesterday I was exhausted and the talking helped. Where did you go anyway?"

"Nowhere important." Chris assured her. His eyes still glazed over as he tried to remember what exactly he had done yesterday. Emily took this as her cue to leave and sauntered back into the room to shower and change.

Chris finished examining the room and knew he had to clean up this mess before Piper arrived. He shuddered as he imagined the casket she would blow if she saw the overturned tables and crayon drawings on the wall. Walking over to the far wall with the most graffiti he realised it had been signed P&P, next to which appeared to be the author's attempt to spell out their full name, Peyton Noah Hal-, but it was abruptly cut off. Chris could feel a tugging at the back of his brain and knew he was forgetting something important. As he heard the water shut off he made a sweeping gesture with his hand and the chair's and table's where in immaculate condition.

Chris' attention was alerted to the middle of the room as he heard the telltale chimes that accompanied orbing. Soon enough Leo materialized and Chris felt himself scowl.

"Hey." Leo stated, his dislike and distrust leaking out with just one word. Taking in Chris' disheveled state, Leo immediately rounded on him. "What are you doing sitting around here? Aren't you supposed to be getting to know your new charge?" Natalie choose this exact moment to see what the fuss was about and walked out barely covered in a fluffy white towel that clung to her body. She motioned to Leo as a sign of greeting which was only met by a grimace, so she turned and returned to changing. "Chris, are you out of your mind? Besides from this being out of line, it's completely against the rules." Chris rolled his eyes at Leo's hypocrisy and tried to remember why he came from the future in the first place. Leo orbed out with one last scathing glare thrown Chris' way to emphasise his point.

"Is he gone?" Natalie's hesitant voice floated through the open door and she poked her head out once Chris said it was safe. Leaning in to Chris she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as thanks and headed out promising to call if she needed him. Once she was gone Chris turned back to his initial dilemma. Returning to the wall he knew it was a key in him remembering what had happened. While examining the wall Chris suddenly felt as if he was pulled backwards.

* * *

><p>"You must be Chris. I'm Natalie." Chris smiled and took his new charges hand as a way to get rid of Leo. Once Leo was pleased with the matter, he turned away from the pair and orbed back up to 'Elderland' as Piper liked to call it.<p>

"So Natalie how are you coping." Chris stated calmly his voice washing over Natalie like silk and it was all it took for her to breakdown completely. Sobs wracked her body and Chris walked over gathering her in his arms, used to this kind of reaction from the future, as more and more people found out about magic when Wyatt's grand plan was implemented, he started consoling her.

After a few hours of talking through her queries Natalie had cried herself to the point of physical exhaustion. Chris lay her down gentle and said a spell that would keep her sleeping until tomorrow, he knew she would need it. Chris orbed out of the room and quickly checked up on the sister's who had been stressed throughout his talk with Natalie. He found Phoebe in the middle of an office brawl, with a nasty looking cut on her forehead which he once again felt guilt and annoyance at the fact he couldn't heal. Paige dealing with a case of sexual abuse in the office, plotting how to seek revenge and finally Piper was simply playing with Wyatt, Chris made his decision and orbed into the conservatory sitting down next to Piper and examined his brother, the future source of all evil. Of course he claimed his regime was fully based on accumulating power and those that got in his way were simply inferior beings and that good vs evil was an archaic belief. Yet it was the fact that Wyatt had been unable to kill him despite all his transgressions that gave Chris hope that he could be saved. That and of course-

Chris' train of thought was abruptly cut off by his name being called repeatedly. Chris quickly apologized to Piper and explained that he was needed by his newest charge. Piper sat their stunned as her whitelighter orbed away. He had been so hellbent on getting them to understand the severity of his mission that she didn't think he would up and leave at the sound of his name, and the fact that he apologized also through her threw a loop but as she looked back on her time with him she could tell that despite the post apocalyptic like world Chris said he grew up in, he was raised with manners. Glancing back at Wyatt, Piper was suddenly surrounded by the familiar sensation of being orbed. Once her feet touched solid ground she looked accusingly at her son knowing this was somehow his doing, that he needed to be scolded for possibly exposing magic and she was immediately on the phone to her sisters.

Meanwhile Chris responded to the calls in his head. He landed just in time to dodge a demon that was thrown across the room, crashing into a glass cabinet with a sickening crack. Chris did a quick body count as he rounded on the culprits. "Parker and Peyton! What in God's name is going on here." Chris' arms immediately stretched out to catch the bundle of orbs, while looking expectantly at the shimmer that was quickly materializing at his feet. Once he felt the little body land safely in his arms he bent down to eye level of the little boy in front of him. "Parker, it's okay I just want to know what happened."

The little boy's bow shaped lips parted to start speaking, but quickly shut as his lower lip began trembling. Chris immediately scooped the boy up as well and clutched him tightly to his chest. He felt two sets of arms wrap around his neck and he felt wet drops begin to collect on his shoulder. Chris started making reassuring sounds and stroked Parker's back.

"Parker you're not in trouble, I just need to know you are both okay." Chris waited for the boy to collect himself and then locked eyes with the him, staring into green eyes identical to his own. Suddenly Chris felt a memory begin playing in his mind and he knew at once this was the best Parker could do while he tried to pull himself together.

_Peyton was annoyed because despite being four years old and omni-linguistic, she was forced to homeschool along with her older brother Parker, who despite being six years old was doing work for ninth graders and both were bored out of their minds. Their tutor was as baffled as always when the tiny children were able to answer work that she found troubling._

'_Parker, I want to do something fun' Peyton complained to her, brother grateful for their telepathy, Parker looked at his sister with a mischievous glint in his eyes, fighting the urge to smile and Peyton had to hold back a laugh of her own. Parker used his telepathy to suggest to their tutor that she take a break and have a nap on the couch._

__Peyton orbed their coats to them and Parker _grabbing her smaller hand shimmered them out of the house. They found themselves in the middle of the mall and quickly sought out the ice-cream parlor. __The two kids eyes lit up as they rushed inside. After paying and thanking the man they headed back outside licking their respective ice cream. Their ethereal features always drew too much attention and so Peyton quickly used her glamour to disguise them. Their chocolate brown hair changed to beach blonde, their eyes became a dull blue and their skin became an ivory colour as opposed to the tanner pallor that highlighted their unique eyes. After finishing their treat, Parker took Peyton to the playground and pushed her on the swings subtly using his telekinesis to push her a little higher and ensure she didn't fall off._

_After an hour or so had passed they turned to the bathroom and once safely inside a stall Parker shimmered them back into the house. Returning just in time to be ambushed by 20 demon's who had been drawn to the power surrounding the house as a result of it's occupant's. Immediately a fight ensured, Peyton and Parker launching straight into offense, Parker froze the 6 demon's advancing on him and using his ability to manipulate fire grabbed his handy lighter taking the small flame and making it grow before throwing it at the Demon's who unfroze just in time to scream as they were vanquished. Peyton on the other hand had started hurling energy balls at the demon's who had greatly underestimated her power. With the ten Peyton vanquished along with Parker's six, four remained and split up to target each kid in a pair. Peyton quickly conjured up and athame and using her telekinesis moved one of the Demon's onto the end causing him to let out a scream of agony. Next she met eyes with the remaining demon and tapping into his emotions, she manipulated it so she felt all the human emotions and amplified remorse and guilt causing the Demon to become so overwhelmed it was vanquished by the tide of emotions. Parker had used his advanced form of astral projection to create two functioning versions of himself one of whom quickly lit one of the Demon's on fire watching as it were reduced to ash and the other him conjured an athame and sent it flying at the Demon who finally joined the others, after crashing into a glass cabinet._

_Parker quickly took off in the direction of his little sister and began checking her over for injuries. Peyton quickly wrapped her brother in a comforting embrace. "Thanks Parker, I had a lot of fun!" Peyton began laughing uncontrollably as she clutched to her big brother, relishing in the rush they both got from a vanquish. Suddenly a high pitched shriek cut through the air and the two turned guiltily towards their tutor knowing they where in so much trouble. Seconds later that was reinforced by their names being called._

The memory tapered off and Chris immediately knew they had called him to help them erase her memories as they had used up too much power in the fight. Chris sighed and gently placed Parker back down. Moving to release Peyton, he wasn't surprised to feel her grip around his neck tighten. "Daddy please don't yell at Parker, it was my fault I wanted to have fun." Chris looked into Peyton's tear filled eyes and wiped away the ones that escaped. His other hand reached out and ruffled Parker's hair lovingly.

"Parker, I told you, you're not in any trouble. Quite frankly that fight was amazing and showed me you haven't lost control of your powers," Chris turned his head back to Peyton, "either of you." Chris was finally able to put Peyton down and looked over to the couch where the tutor was rocking back and forth telling herself it wasn't real. Chris sighed and placed his fingertips on her temples mumbling the spell quietly he quickly replaced her memories. Dismissing her for the day Chris turned back to his troublesome children, just in time to see a Dragon fly past the window and knew something had happened.

Motioning to his kids they quickly flung themselves into his open arms snuggling in before he orbed them back to P3.

Chris went to check on Natalie and was pleased to see her still asleep. He heard a crash from the other room and ran out just in time to find one of the tables already overturned in what looks like Parker's attempt at building a fort for them. "Parker, you know the drill. Take care of Peyton, try not to destroy the club, could you also keep an eye on Natalie and this time _no magic_ I can't have any Demon's after you at the moment I have to take care of a dragon."

Parker nodded in agreement and Chris watched in amusement as Parker's hair flopped around like his own. Chris prepared himself to leave giving Parker one last kiss on his forehead whilst ruffling his hair causing an annoyed groan from the boy. As he moved to stand he was attacked from behind. Chris grabbed onto Peyton's feet and moved her around the front, holding her upside down he watched as her gold-streaked brown hair cascaded around her in gently waves before skimming the ground. Chris noticed her eyes were tinged blue and was grateful that her empathy allowed her emotions to be seen through her eyes. He watched unhappily as the blue grew deeper with each passing second, he didn't want his baby girl to be sad anymore. One of his hands whipped forward like a cobra and immediately began tickling her until she was nothing more than a ball of laughter and the regular golden flecks had rightfully returned to her eyes.

Parker knowing his dad had to leave moved towards the pair and with a small smile held his arms out for his baby sister. He wrapped his arms securely around his wriggling sister and wished his dad good luck, sighing as he listened to the disappearing jingle. Parker surveyed the club amazed at how different it looked to the one left barely standing in the future. Parker quickly noticed a box of Wyatt's toys in the corner and raced over to them pulling Peyton with him. Peyton's footsteps grew louder beside him as she realised where they were headed, she knew her brother would always take care of her, even if that meant playing with mean Uncle Wyatt's little kid toys. She knew her dad kept saying that Uncle Wyatt was still innocent in this time but she could grasp the concept especially since he was the one who tried to kidnap her and Parker one a week, since they were the only ones left in their generation because Wyatt had already killed all the others apparently the Halliwell will was too strong to break and he was unable to turn them.

Chris surveyed the mess that Wyatt had created and got a strong sense of Deja Vu one that he only got when the cleaners had somehow been involved and he knew it was up to him to fix this mess before it happened again. He knew the sister's were capable to talking their way out of whatever deal they have to make with the cleaners and right now he just wanted to make sure no one got hurt by the dragon. Chris arrived at the tunnel just in time to orb the people in the cars out of the way and prepare to face the dragon. Chris orbed one of the Dragon's arms off and it was momentarily distracted by the pain enough for Chris to throw the potion at it that takes away it's ability to see. The Dragon let at an ear splitting roar and lashed out in front of it, successfully making contact with Chris. Satisfied and scared the Dragon turned and fled from the tunnel.

Piper and Wyatt orbed back to the manor with Phoebe and Paige behind them and they cleaned up while trying to figure out why they forgot the day. Once the cleaners showed up and tried to take Wyatt again, the sisters raced into action. Paige and Phoebe set to work on how to stop the cleaners whilst Piper called for a higher power. Despite her defending that Chris was their whitelighter earlier, Leo is still the one she calls when in trouble. After a bit of arguing and some cryptic advice that Leo's always good for, they headed out to stop more people from getting hurt. After Paige orbed a scale away from the Dragon, Piper finally grasped what Leo was saying. Handing Wyatt to Paige, Piper called out to the Dragon making sure Wyatt could see, once the Dragon began attacking Piper, Wyatt knew he had to save his mum and orbed the Dragon away just in time. After a final confrontation with the cleaners, they all orbed back to the manor to put off the inevitable.

Parker was admiring the mural he and Peyton had just completed and Peyton was finishing writing her name when she abruptly dropped to the floor clutching her head. Her screams filled Parker's ears and he immediately rushed to her side. Once she felt her brother's arms around her she began to sob but knew it was not the time, so she orbed them straight to the tunnel. The minute Parker was able to see he sprinted towards his father and bent down over him. Three distinct claw lines had slashed his chest open and Chris' breathing had grown labored. Looking up at his son, Chris brought his hand up and stroked a piece of hair away from his face.

"NO! No, no, no, no. Peyton! I can't heal him all by myself. Help!" Parker watched as despite the glow from his hands his father was bleeding out quicker that then cuts were healing. Peyton was at her father's side instantly hands stretched out just like Parker's as she tapped into his ability to heal, her glow a little stronger since Parker had used more magic than her today to fend off the Demon's.

"Please Daddy, please don't leave us." Peyton begged hopelessly as Chris stroked her cheek lovingly. Tears were streaming down both their faces as they watched the life slowly seep out of their father. "Paige! Help, please help." Peyton called out despite her dad's protests, she couldn't let him die and she knew Paige would be the sister most likely to help and keep it a secret.

"I love you... keep each other safe. Promise me." Chris wheezed out careful not to flinch and show just how much pain he was in.

"We promise Dad, but you can't leave us. Please!" Parker felt helpless as he called out for his dad.

They watched as their father's eyes blinked slowly and knowing they didn't have much time, Parker grabbed onto Peyton's hand as well as his father's hand and shimmered them to the small garden surrounded by columns that he knew was his parents favourite place. They crawled in next to their dad, knowing that if they kept healing him it would only prolong his painful death. Lightly shaking from the crying they rested their heads on a shoulder each and watched as the light left his green eyes, eyes they had both inherited. They felt as his solid mass suddenly became nothing more than golden lights and he disappeared. Peyton launched herself at her brother attempting to feel some form of comfort and they both cried their for their dad. Suddenly their was a warm feeling that wrapped around them and they watched as their blood soaked clothes returned to their original state, they noticed the Golden Gate Bridge reform. They glanced at each other utterly confused until they heard the deep voice they loved.

"Parker! Peyton!" Chris watched as his kids brightened, and he couldn't stop the tears that cascaded down his cheeks.

"Daddy!" Peyton threw herself at her father with so much force that they both went tumbling to the ground. He stroked her hair gently as she held onto him for dear life.

"Please don't ever leave us again." Parker called out as he too threw himself on top of his family. Chris chuckled and watched how both his kids closed their eyes and simply listened to his laughter.

Once they had both calmed down he orbed them to P3. Grabbing the camera from the back room he took a photo of their masterpiece and then handed them a bucket of soapy water and a sponge.

"Clean it up. No magic." Chris tried to hide his smile as his kids groaned but immediately set to work. What can he say growing up with Piper meant that he was bound to have a neat freak in him. He waved his hands and the tables fixed themselves.

"No fair!" Parker called from his spot next to the wall, as he was backed up by Peyton's "Yeah."

"Do you want me to put it back and you can fix them by hand as well, or would you rather have breakfast some time soon?" Chris asked.

Peyton's plaits hit her in the eyes as she shook her head and the same time Parker nodded. Chris raised one eyebrow at them and they immediately vocalized their response.

"Please Daddy can you leave it as it is." Peyton's soft voice accompanied Parker's response of "Can we have waffles, pretty please."

Chris chuckled at his kids predictability and simply nodded his head in agreement. Turning toward the counter Chris sat down and waited for Natalie to finish with her shower. Once she appeared fully dressed Chris turned to her.

"Hey Natalie, I'm sorry but as you can see I have my hands full at the moment." Chris gestured to his 'pride and joy' that were currently in the middle of a water fight. Natalie nodded her head in understanding. "I know it's not my place to ask anything of you but would you mind not mentioning them to anyone, I'm trying to keep them out of the magical community." Chris finished.

"Yeah sure that's fine, thanks again for last night Chris." She quickly kissed his cheek and turned to leave. "Oh and Chris, if you ever need anyone to babysit, just drop them by."

"Thanks Natalie, will do." Chris watched as she disappeared and was immediately corned by his kids who had charmed the sponges to finish cleaning.

"She's pretty Daddy, I like her." Peyton's voice raised in pitch until the end was a squeal, conveying her excitement in the matter.

"Yeah, can she babysit us. I mean I know I'm not a baby but I'm sure we can homeschool from there, we can teach her some magic stuff and we don't have to worry about calling you after an attack." Parker was attempting to be the voice of reason but his voice was laced with hope.

"Fine." He continued over their proclamations of joy. "But only if you still call me during or after each attack."

"Promise!" came their synchronized answer.

"Well then Pey, you want to do the honour of conjuring breakfast today." Chris grinned at his baby girl.

"I do it everyday." She argued with a smile but obliged and moments later a full spread was placed before them. Immediately their hunger took over, but being descendants of Piper napkins were placed on laps and utensils were used.

"This is great Peyton." Parker complemented as he swallowed another bite of the fluffy waffle.

They ate, while making small talk before Parker reached for the stool next to him and was hit with a premonition.

"Dad, Leo's coming in a minute." Everyone jumped to action and Chris orbed all the food and his kids to his room and placed a cloak on. While Peyton and Parker held their hands over their mouth and nose to prevent any excess noise.

"What are you still doing here, Chris? Shouldn't you be getting to know your new charge?" Leo scolded Chris in the same tone he always used.

"Yeah, about that. I'm, uh, going back to what I originally said. I don't have time for her." Chris shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

"Chris." Leo said condescendingly.

"Leo, I mean it. Because whether you believe me or not, I'm here to protect Wyatt, not other charges. Other than the sisters of course." Chris amended knowing that playing on Leo's beliefs about protecting the Charmed ones and his son was the way to get what he wanted.

"If that's how you feel about it I guess I'll reassign her."

"Thank you." Chris said dryly as he tried not to cringe at having to say thanks to Leo.

Chris breathed out a breath of relief once he heard Leo leave. Peyton quickly used her sensing power to make sure Leo wasn't still hovering before taking Parker's hand and orbing everything back out to it's rightful spot.

"I don't like this Grandpa Leo any better than I did in the future." Peyton said pouting as she finished eating. "I miss Grandpa Victor."

"I know baby girl, so do I." Chris sighed as he thought of how easy it would be to see his grandfather again, alive and well in this time and hopefully get him to give up cigars that way he'll live longer in the future.

"Is Grams any better?" Parker asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"Well she doesn't like me very much but I guess that has more to do with the fact that I can't tell them anything other than something evil hurts their precious son and nephew. But I'm sure she would love both of you."

"Daddy, you have to tell them at some point that Uncle Leo is the definition of evil." Peyton glanced accusingly at him.

"Pey, why are you so smart for your age?" Chris sighed dramatically as he scoped her into a big hug.

"It's why you love me. Besides someone has to make up for the lack of brains between you two." She answered having obviously inherited her dad's ability in the sarcasm department and her eyes twinkled in enjoyment.

"Do you think we'll ever get to meet Grams and Aunt Phoebe." Parker voiced quietly.

"Maybe, but don't you want to meet Auntie Paige as well." Chris asked, confused as his kids faces scrunched up in disgust as he said her name.

"No, she left you to die. She didn't come when we called." Peyton huffed as her eyes changed slightly red as her anger built.

"Hey! Listen up everything is okay. I'm here now and besides Aunt Paige wouldn't have been able to help anyway, she doesn't have control over her healing yet. So we are not going to hold grudges over any of that. Besides you remember how much fun you both have with Auntie Paige in the future." Chris watched as they both nodded their heads slowly. "And remember if you do get to meet them your names are..."

"Nathan Masters and my sister..."

"Noah Masters age four and awesome but can only speak English nothing else." Peyton finished smugly.

"Okay good. So what are we going to get up to today?" Chris stated and he looked up at his kids and all three of them had the same mischievous glint in their emerald eyes.


	2. The Power of Three Blondes

Chris orbed into P3 once it was safe, he had overheard Phoebe telling Piper how the new bartender was 'checking her out' and it was all Chris could do from orbing right in and kicking that guy's butt, it wasn't that he wanted Leo as his dad, but he wanted to be part whitelighter, not part skeevy bartender.

"No!" Phoebe and Piper called out the minute that Chris' orbs had formed. At his startled expression Phoebe elaborated. "We're not demon hunting, we're going to lunch."

"Hey, I am not unreasonable. We can hunt demons after lunch." Chris couldn't help himself at having a laugh at their expense. "By the way, anyone seen Leo?" At their negative responses and pointed looks Chris continued. "Well, if you do, let me know. There's a rumor floating around up there that he has a lead on whoever sent him to Valhalla." Chris knew that people who crossed Leo where very rarely shown leniency and he couldn't afford to leave Peyton and Parker alone.

"Well, I'm sure that's very important stuff but I have another question. Did either one of you leave the book on the floor last night?" He wasn't going to lie, it did hurt him when Piper brushed him off like that but he knew that if he kept Piper and his mother separate he could deal with the feelings. And he took the question important. Piper pressed further when he received a negative response from Phoebe but a thoughtful face from her whitelighter. "Chris?"

"I vaguely remember a story that started like that in the future. Someone's after the book." Chris finished convinced that this was definitely an important threat.

"Demons are always after the book. What's new?" Piper finished offhandedly.

"No, I think this time they get it. You should take this threat seriously. And tell Paige. Where is Paige?" Chris quickly realised it was only two of his charges going out for lunch.

"She's at her new temp job." Phoebe finished standing up for Paige's attempt at a normal life. Chris thought back to what Phoebe had said earlier about Jason and cringed at the name, no one was better for Phoebe than his Uncle Coop but he couldn't tell her that it might result in their being no Uncle Coop, but that doesn't mean he had to be supportive of the relationship.

"She's still on that kick?" Chris knew from the history books that Paige continued on the said 'kick' for a while longer but hoped that with the serious threat of Wyatt's safety on their hands the sisters would take a more active role.

"It's not a kick, Chris. It's her quest for happiness outside of magic." Piper responded angry at Chris for treating their wants as such a minimal thing.

"Yeah, but it's a temp job. Who finds happiness on a temp job?" Chris was truly puzzled as to how anyone could manage such a thing. Chris liked to close himself off to those from the past, but at home he loved the people in the resistance like a family. Yet he was most open with his kids. They were the one light in his otherwise dark world, they're what keep him fighting and what drive him to stop Wyatt. If it wasn't for them he would have given up years ago.

Piper and Phoebe excused themselves as they left Chris in his quiet contemplation seeing an expression of serenity cross his face as he thought of something and no matter how much he annoyed them, they had never seen him that relaxed and at peace and they didn't want to be the ones to ruin it.

By the time Chris came back to the present he quickly realised he had not only been out of it for a while but none of the sisters were willing to fight until after lunch. That gave him time to think. Soon enough he had orbed out to Natalie's home.

"Chris." Natalie's cheerful face greeted him before he was enveloped in a hug.

"Chris!" Peyton and Parker immediately attacked him acting as if it had been days since they had last seen him, not a few hours ago at breakfast. "Hey guys, who wants lunch." Chris headed to the kitchen and Natalie watched as Chris immediately relaxed as if he was at home in the kitchen. "Chris. Nathan took Ellie and froze the bottom half of it so that her face kept moving like an elephant but her body was frozen in place. S-so it b-br-broke." Peyton had tears streaming down her face by this point.

Chris looked over at Parker and saw him looking guiltily at the ground. He held out two Ellie's one in each hand. The one on the left had smoke billowing from it, whilst the second one was in perfect condition. "I-I didn't mean to get so angry, it's just Noah glamoured herself to look like a... a clown." Parker shuddered as memories from his time with Wyatt flashed through his mind and remembered how he had lured him in using a clown. "But once she started crying, I felt really bad so I conjured her a new one, but she said it wasn't the same." Chris studied Peyton again and realised why she was so upset, she was not only feeling her pain, but her brother's guilt. Sighing Chris picked Peyton up and wiped away her tears. Chris imagined what his baby girl looked like through the glamour and ran his finger's through her hair reassuringly.

"Honey, I know it's not the same but you know how bad Nathan feels about it but you should have also known better than to have changed into a clown, you know what happened and you should feel worse than he does. Honestly I support Nathan and I think while he owes you an apology he has no reason to give you a new one. But he did, because that's how much he cares about your happiness and about you and I think you owe him a very big apology and see how you can make it up to him." Chris watched as the consequences of Peyton's actions settled on her. Her eyes grew round as she remembered exactly what Wyatt had done once he had gotten Parker and she started crying for a whole new reason. Orbing off the counter, Parker had put down the toys and held his arms out, and sure enough moments later his baby sister was curled up against his chest mumbling incoherent apologies and promising to make him happy again. Parker simply smiled and held up Ellie 2, and handed it to her. Watching as she snuggled into the soft toy, a huge grin adored Parker's face and instantly both children were at peace.

Chris smiled lovingly at how much they relied on the other's happiness for their own happiness, remembering when Wyatt and him had, had a similar connection, but he knew it was never as strong as the one these two shared. The only other people who he had seen with a connection that strong had been himself and his baby sister Melinda. Chris turned towards the pasta he was making knowing that not only would it make his kids happy but it was one of the only meals he could cook and eat in the allowed time before the sisters got suspicious. As he sliced up the broccoli and tomato he was grateful he was able to remember what day it was as at the base camp they could only get specific food on various days and because of that Peyton and Parker only eat broccoli and tomato today, whereas tomorrow would be carrot and cucumber, the following day lettuce and zucchini and so on.

Natalie remained quite throughout all the various interactions and was amazed at the love those two had for each other and how much they seemed to rely on Chris as simply a stable aspect of their lives. She noticed on other days that if he was gone for more than a few hours they grew very agitated and worried and for the life of her she couldn't understand why. All three seemed to have worries far to big for their respective ages and seen things that most people would never recover from yet a simple act of love such as a hug or a fixed toy appeared to be all that was needed to fix the problem.

They were all seated around Natalie's table and she held her palms out to say grace. She knew Chris was hesitant about the act but not wanting to offend he took her hand, causing to two little ones to follow suit. Soon enough they all dug into their food and Natalie couldn't help the moan at the explosion of flavors in her mouth. It was as if each herb used was only used to complement another and it was simply a never-ending loop of tastes. Chris grinned at her sheepishly, obviously uncomfortable about being praised on something as trivial as cooking, but Natalie couldn't get past what a great cook he was. By the time they had finished she was amazed to see that not a scrape of food was left on either child's plates and when they had been asked to be excused they had taken their plates to the kitchen and by the time Natalie has finished and moved to clean up everyone's plates she finds that the kids have already taken care of that themselves and the plates are in the drying rack ready to be put away. Natalie is once again rendered speechless at the manners these kids were raised with the way they talk sometimes tells her that wherever they grew up terrible things happened but regardless of that they maintain everyday courtesies commonly forgot in today's society.

Natalie cleaned up her own plate and moved into the lounge room where she found Chris sitting on the couch with Nathan and Noah curled in on either side of him, listening as he tells them a story about a good which and a ex-demon being possessed and going on a murderous rampage all for the purpose of having the perfect wedding they were denied before they died. Despite the gory content both kids listened with rapt attention and nodded at appropriate places added in details they remembered from a previous telling all the while Chris' hand moved minimally as he traced something across a blank sketch book.

Mid-story Chris sighed and the kids looked at him crushed, as they appeared to come back to reality with the aid of a few blinks. "I'm sorry guys I really am but I have to go the sisters are calling me, I'll be back later to get you and you can come stay with me tonight." Their eyes glowed with excitement and despite the slight sadness Natalie felt at having to let them go even if for the night, she understood that they wanted to see Chris. She watched as Chris tore out the page he had been working on. "Sorry it's only a rough copy I'll give you a better one soon so you can colour this one in if you want." He smiled apologetically at them again and left in a bunch of orbs. Both kids sat on the couch still stunned as they looked at the picture Peyton had clutched in her hands.

'_I miss mummy.'_ Peyton sent to her brother as she stroked the woman in the picture carefully.

'_I know Pey, I do too but she has to stop Uncle Wyatt from coming after us.'_ Parker sighed as he pulled his little sister closer to him and allowed her head to fall gently on his shoulder. Quietly he began humming a lullaby like tune and Natalie watched as Noah shook her head trying to clear away the sleep, yet as Nathan kept humming he watched her eyelids drop till all they could hear from her were light breaths. Parker knew he had to be careful about using his shimmering around Natalie as she still didn't know they had more than the basic powers with the exception of Peyton's ability to orb. Carefully he picked up his little sister and took her to the spare room lying her on the bed and covering her with the blanket, he quickly conjured Ellie and watched as Peyton subconsciously held it closer to herself. Moving to their bags Parker quickly took one of the potions Chris had packed for them knowing that in a few minutes once Peyton started dreaming her glamour would wear off and he would be exposed, so the potion was used to hold the appearance until Peyton was alert enough to start glamouring again.

He walked back to the lounge room and resisted the urge to use his telekinesis to move the picture away from Natalie. Sure he trusted her and liked her but that drawing of his mum, Peyton and him was too personal, as it had been just before they stepped through the portal. Just before they took the potion that would cloak them from everyone, even their own mother. It's a moment that their mother would have no recollection of as his dad had to mess with her memories so Wyatt couldn't track them. He remembers seeing the tear tracks rolling down his father's face as he erased all memories of Peyton, Parker and their plan from her mind. Watched how with one last kiss he took everything away and Parker's mother started attacking his father and so it was all he could do to stop from tearing that moment away from her hands, for fear of damaging the picture.

Natalie looked up from the drawing as she heard Nathan approach. Drawing... if you could even call it that. It looked like a photo taken in black and white. The kids backs were to the audience but she could tell it was Nathan and Noah, Chris had even added in the slight curve at the bottom of Noah's hair and the burn mark on the top of Nathan's arm that she had only realised as she observed him rubbing it subconsciously every so often. However it was the woman that had captivated Natalie's undivided attention. The way her arms were thrown around her kids made Natalie immediately understand that the last thing she wanted to do was let them go. Her eyes had grown watery and tears collected at the bottom but refused to be shed. From the description that Chris had given her, he assumed that this was Bianca, Nathan and Noah's mother and Natalie knew that Chris had loved her with all his heart.

She took in Nathan's guarded expression and immediately understood that he did not want to hurt her feelings or be impolite since she was taking care of them but he wanted the picture back. "Here, sweetheart."

Nathan looked taken aback at first but quickly smiled and took it carefully. "Thank you."

"Why did you change clothes, Piper? You can't hunt demons in heels. Go switch your shoes and we'll get started." Chris was immediately in neurotic whitelighter mode the minute he took in what his 'mother' was wearing. After all they called him away from his kids.

"Hey, slow down there, angel." Paige threw her arm over Chris' shoulder ignoring the way he flinched at the contact. "It's all good in the Charmed universe. What's your hurry?"

"Paige, did you just call me angel?" Chris was beginning to get some seriously messed up vibes and wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"She did, and I can clearly see why." Phoebe quickly joined Paige and grabbed onto Chris.

"Okay. What are you doing over here?" Chris said annoyed, they better have pulled him away for a good reason and they had about ten seconds to start explaining.

"Oh, well, we were just, um..." Phoebe began but trailed off, allowing Piper to step in pulling a dagger from a dead salesman. "Solving a murder. Evil has been here, probably spying on us." Chris raised his eyebrow when she said 'Evil' the way she did, it reminded him of Wyatt. But he ignored it for the moment.

"This could be connected to whoever's after the Book of Shadows." Chris concluded.

"Could be. See that symbol carved into the handle? We think that represents the astral plane." Piper came in as the voice of reason.

"I don't know. The astral plane's a realm of spirit and energy. It's not like they manufacture athames there." Chris was dubious of the plan but if it was a lead on stopping Wyatt from going evil, he was willing to give it a shot.

"All the more reason you should orb over and investigate." Phoebe pushed as she lay her head against his chest.

"You want me to orb to the astral plane?" Chris asked as he backed up slowly from the sisters.

"Immediately. And don't come back until you find out where that knife came from." Phoebe's command was strangely threatening and didn't sit right with them.

"Can I have a kiss goodbye?" Chris stared at his _Auntie_ Paige as if she had grown another head, she may not know who she was to him but he sure as hell did.

"No." Chris suppressed a shudder as he orbed away.

"Split up, fan out, find the book. We don't have much..." Mabel began as they walked into the house. But a voice called out and stopped them short.

"I'm on to you three." Chris' voice was hard as he looked accusingly at his charges.

"What do we do?" Paige whispered to the others.

"You thought you could fool me but you can't." Chris stood up and began twisting the athame between his fingers. "This athame isn't from the astral plane. You sent me on a wild goose chase so you wouldn't have to hunt demons, didn't you, Piper?" Chris was hurt that she would do such a thing but if they wanted him out of the way why didn't they just ask him.

"Busted." Phoebe said with a slight smirk.

"Guilty." Paige attempted a sultry look, and Chris inwardly cringed but he knew something was up and needed to keep up appearances.

"You figured us out, Chris." Piper said his name with less distain and that clued Chris in that something was really wrong.

"We are so sorry." Phoebe pouted and moved closer to Chris and began nuzzling her face against his chest.

"Yeah, you should be. Look, there's an evil out there after Wyatt, and we need to find him before he... Phoebe, what are you doing?" Chris tried to ignore it, but all his instincts were telling him to orb away, but he couldn't do that without alerting him that they were onto him.

"Finding comfort in my Whitelighter." Phoebe purred.

"You're all over him." Paige spat out disgusted.

"You're just jealous 'cause I got to him first." The two immediately broke into a death glare match and Chris cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"Look, Phoebe, I know Piper hooked up with her last Whitelighter but I'm really, really not interested, okay? Can we get back to hunting demons, please?"

"Actually, Chris, we can't. We didn't ditch you to play hookie. We needed time to investigate the death across the street." Mabel tried to keep some of their cover and did her best Piper impersonation.

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place? I would have given you time off for legitimate Charmed duties." _Finally _Chris thought aggravated.

"Well, we're asking now. We believe that athame belongs to witches." Phoebe finally cut to the chase and removed herself from Chris' form.

"Really smart, pretty witches." Paige reaffirmed as if it was such an important matter.

"We just don't know who they are." Piper finished looking expectantly at Chris.

"So why don't I check around this realm for them?" Chris asked as politely as he could muster.

"It's like you read my mind." Piper said sarcasm lacing her words in a way the original Piper never would.

"See, I can be reasonable and helpful. All you gotta do is be honest with me." With that final statement orbed out of the room and straight to Natalie's guest bedroom knowing that Peyton and Parker would know what I would have to do, after all they know every vanquish story back to front.

Peyton was awoken from her sleep by a soft humming and her hair being stroked. Chris looked down at his little girl without her glamour in place her Halliwell features really shone through. "Hey baby girl, I need your help." Chris laughed as Peyton giggled and her features lit up as if it was Christmas and she immediately shook the sleep from her body.

"Okay Daddy." Chris pulled her into his lap like they normally did for story time.

"Before we start could you call Parker in without alerting Natalie." Peyton nodded her head and sent the message, moments later they heard Parker saying he was going to nap with Noah and they should be up in an hour or two. Yawning for emphasis, they heard Parker's feet shuffling towards the door. Parker's eyes lit up as he saw his dad on the bed and immediately noticed the position they were sitting in and ran up pulling himself into the crook of his dad's arm and looked up at him expectantly. "Okay, today is going to go a little differently than it usually does, I'm gonna start the story and you'll finish it." Both kids eye's sparkled at the chance to show off for their dad. "Okay, so one day Piper walked into the attic after hearing a noise only to find the book on the floor, after asking the sisters about it no one owned up to leaving the book on the floor. Later the sisters' identities were taken over-"

"The Stillman Sisters. Mabel, Mitzy, Margo. Common witches known for their small time hustles and cons. Not worth vanquishing. If they become a nuisance, try a simple spell to bind their magic." Parker recited the blurb from the Book of Shadows remembering the women who had impersonated their Grams, and Great Aunts.

"Blonde Bimbo's, who are filled with jealousy and that's how you have to stop them Daddy. They have to fight and break the power of three." Peyton finished and looked at her dad her eyes pleading.

Chris raised an eyebrow at her look. "Yes?" He watched as his kids carried out a silent conversation. Before it was decided Peyton would speak for them.

"Please, please let us go with you." She squeezed in a tighter hug as if that would change the outcome. Giving him a kiss on the cheek she returned to looking into his eyes, and Chris felt his resolve loosening.

"Hey, no messing with my feelings Peyton Noah Halliwell." Peyton looked down guiltily annoyed she got caught.

"Sorry Daddy."

"For what you did or getting caught?" Chris asked already knowing the answer.

"Getting caught." she mumbled under her breath.

"Please Dad, I promise we'll use that cloaking potion and wont say or do anything just watch. Both of them looked into his eyes imploringly.

"Fine." Chris sighed giving up. "Not one word."

"Oh Dad, it all goes down just before midnight." Parker added as an afterthought.

"Then you both better have a real nap now." With that said Chris orbed out and reformed in Natalie's lounge room.

"Oh, hey Chris. Three times in one day those kids are gonna be stoked." Natalie made to get up but Chris placed a hand on Natalie's arm motioning for her to let them sleep. "Chris... your drawing was amazing." Natalie smiled lightly when she saw the blush that adorned Chris' face. "If you don't mind me asking do you mind telling me a bit about Bianca." Natalie finished hesitantly but to her surprise Chris immediately began smiling and turned to her happy to have someone besides his kids he could talk to. Obviously he would have to tweak the story a bit to allow for Nathan and Noah's story and change their ages of when the events happened, but he really enjoyed telling the story of how they met. Sure enough 4 hours had passed quickly and about halfway through at dinner time Peyton and Parker had reappeared their stomach's grumbling loudly. Once Chris had taken care of dinner they had sat down and enjoyed story time as well, loving how happy their dad got when he talked about their mother. Eventually it was time to leave. Heading to the guest room Peyton and Parker quickly took the potions and two gremlins raced in and told him it was time. Holding his hands out he waited for his kids to grab a hand each and he orbed out.

"You wouldn't happen to know any gremlins, would you?" Chris stated as he turned to 'Piper', 'Paige' and 'Phoebe'.

"Uh, it's about time." One of the three guests said and judging by the tone he figured it was Paige.

"Chris, thank god. Look at them, look at them, they're impostors. They stole..." He had to cut Phoebe off before she went to far and screwed everything up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down. Who are you?" Chris was once again grateful for his ability to lie without batting an eyelash.

"They're witches. They're the ones that killed that guy across the street." Chris felt Peyton's hand squeeze his tighter as she looked at the witch posing as her Grams.

"No, Chris, she's lying. Remember this morning when you said something was gonna happen to the book? Well, this is it. It's happening now." He heard Parker take in a breath sharply as he knew that had to be his real Grams.

"Ugh, enough of this. Piper, blast them."

"How do you know what I said to Piper?" Chris asked the real Piper.

"Because she is Piper. And I'm Paige and this is Phoebe. And they cast an identity spell to make the entire world think they're us." Paige said throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"That's ridiculous. Everyone knows the Charmed Ones are blonde." This caused the real Charmed Ones to scoff and Chris had to hold back a laugh.

"If you're Piper, then show me your powers, blast me."

"I can't, you stole them." Piper said, annoyed at how weak her response sounded.

"Okay, so we stole your identities and your powers. Wow, we must be good. Definitely worth more than a paragraph." Chris heard Peyton snicker at their response but try to smother it with her hand, luckily everyone else was busy scowling at their counterpart.

"Oh, yeah."

"It's time to take care of you witches and your delusions."

"Wait! Wait. I can prove that we're telling the truth. I can still orb, I'm half Whitelighter."

"Okay, go for it." Chris already knew from what Parker had told him that it wasn't going to work. Sure enough Paige's face scrunches up in concentration and growls when nothing happened.

"Go ahead, Piper, blast away." Chris was relying on their inexperience with the Charmed Ones advanced powers, but held his breath anyway as he felt Parker and Peyton tighten their holds on his hands. 'Piper' raised her hands and completely missed the target.

"She missed, Chris, when have you ever known Piper to miss?" Phoebe shouted annoyed that Chris didn't believe them and finally began to gather what it might be like for Chris.

After more taunting from the real Charmed Ones the impostor's powers grew even more out of control and minutes later, both sets were running up the stairs to the attic after a particular comment about a bad hair job.

Chris turned to his kids once the others were all out of ear shot. "Parker I need you to shimmer, and Peyton you need to glamour it so it appears like orbs when we show up upstairs."

"Okay." Both said enthusiastically, thrilled about being included.

Moments later they were solid again on the attic floor and Chris knew exactly what he needed to do, as he took in the real Charmed Ones frozen state.

"You did it. Nice work, babe." Chris walked over and kissed the Phoebe replacement passionately fighting his gag reflex, his kids on the other hand had no such control making belching sounds throughout the whole thing that went unnoticed by the impostors as their jealousy and need for command took over. Peyton and Parker quickly walked over to the Book of Shadows to examine the symbol on the front.

"This is not fair! First, I get ripped off in the power department, then you bag the bartender, and the boyfriend lays diamonds on you. That Whitelighter belongs to me."

"Ow, my head. You know, you really need to learn to control your emotions. I can't help it if Chris chose me."

"Did you sleep with him?"

Chris knew this was his chance to move the process along so at the same time 'Phoebe' said no he said yes.

"You did what? I gave you a direct order, that Whitelighter was off limits."

"You know what? I am sick and tired of your orders. We both are."

"Stay out of my feelings."

"Oh, are those your feelings?"

"The hell yes those are my feelings. You boss us around like we're idiots."

"What? She thinks we are idiots."

"I didn't say that."

"Yeah, but I bet she felt it. My little empath feels everything." Chris said smirking as his words did exactly as he intended them to.

"He's right. You despise us. In fact, until I became an empath I never realised how much you truly hate us."

"You know what? Come on, baby, lets go, who needs them?" Chris grabbed her arm and made to pull her away, but she was pulled right back by the leader.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere. We've got to stick together or our plan falls apart."

"See? There you go, bossing again." She argued again.

"Mm-hm." Backed up by the youngest. "Just let the little chippy run off if that's what she wants."

"Don't call me a chippy." Immediately a fight ensues and sure enough the triquetra broke and the real Charmed Ones unfroze.

"You should be able to handle these women now." Chris stepped back and whispered to his kids, "Watch the Halliwell way." Right on cue the three sisters punched their respective impostors in the nose.

"I take it this was all your doing." Paige said to Chris once she looked over in his direction.

"Hey, you're the one who got me here." He said complementing her for the gremlins.

"How did you know they weren't us?" Piper was as suspicious as always and Chris felt Peyton and Parker tense at the tone she was using.

"In all my life I have never seen you take the bait the way that witch took it from you." Chris finished not realising his mistake.

"In all your life? You've only been our Whitelighter for two months." Chris shrugged noncommittally as if that's what he meant, but Phoebe quickly noticed the way his hands seemed to be clutching the air and instead of handing over the book, he used his telepathy to move it to the appropriate page and orb it to them.

"Let's just reverse the magic."

"Powers of the witches rise, course unseen across the skies, come to us who call you near, come to us and settle here." As the three chanted Peyton and Parker gasped at the sight of the magic settling on their ancestors.

"Okay well you have this all under control, so... I'm off." With that Chris orbed out, leaving the sisters standing their bewildered as to why he hadn't given them a lecture, started a new demon hunt or insisted on them updating the book.

Chris could barely hold himself up by the time the landed at P3 let alone his kids. Collapsing on the bed, they quickly took the 'antidote' potion to make the other one wear off faster and after Chris cloaked the room climbed into bed next to their dad. Peyton made herself comfortable with her bottom in the air lying on Chris' chest her head nestled under his chin, whilst Parker rolled up in a ball and leaned his back firmly against his dad as a reminder that he was there. Within ten minutes all were passed out and didn't wake till lunch the following day.

Parker and Peyton were quick to orb to Natalie to stop her from freaking out as they realised they had seven missed calls from her already. Chris orbed over to the manner just in time to see Leo drop off Wyatt and immediately squashed the jealousy over the look of pure love Leo had when he looked at Wyatt.

"Leo, can I talk to you for a second?" Chris spoke up before he could lost control of his emotions. He waited for Leo to say bye to Wyatt and then they moved to the foyer. "There's a rumour floating around up there that you've got a lead on whoever scattered your auras."

"Yeah, I know, I floated it." Leo said accusingly.

"You did? Why?" Chris could feel his heart beat speed up with each second in Leo's presence.

"To draw out the guilty party." Leo stated calmly as if it was something he did everyday.

"Did it work?" Chris asked trying to deflect the conversation.

"You tell me. So far you're the only one to come forward with any questions." Leo glared at Chris with open hatred.

"It's an interesting experiment. When you find out who did it, let me know." Chris squashed his fear and covered it with sarcasm.

"Oh, I already know who did it, Chris, and when I get enough proof to expose him, he'll be the first one to know." Leo finished and disappeared to Elderland.

_Oh shit_ Chris thought before he tuned into Parker and Peyton and was immediately reassured that he was doing this for the them, and that they were still safe.


	3. Love's a Witch

"Daddy!" Peyton screamed at the top of her lungs as she waited for her father to show up. Parker immediately ran to his sister's side and placed a hand over her mouth. Glancing around the section of the underworld they had appeared in Peyton repressed a shiver as the temperature kept shifting between extreme heat to freezing cold.

Moment's later Chris orbed in to witness his kids in the middle of a wrestling match in a cave in the underworld with thirty or so demon burn marks surrounding them alongside the putrid smell being the only evidence of a battle. Chris' eyes raked critically over Parker who was currently on top and then Peyton, making sure they weren't critically injured, as she used her telekinesis to send him into the air and hold him in place while she stood up. Chris watched amused at their antics but also weary of the time frame he was trapped under. Eventually Chris gave up and sat back on a boulder content to watch their thought process until they notice his arrival.

"You can't call Dad just because you are bored and want to know what level of Demon's we are allowed to go after." Parker argued shaking his head in exasperation at Peyton's actions all the while still balancing in the air.

"Actually that is exactly what I can do and you can't stop me." Peyton opened her mouth to scream again when Parker threw his hands up in a way almost identical to Piper's and Chris watched entertained as he froze just her mouth stopping her words in their progress. Chris felt pride swell as he saw that Parker's powers had once again grown. Parker ran his hand through his hair huffing at it's length as he hadn't had the chance to get it cut in a few years, you know with the whole evil uncle for a dictator thing going on.

"No, no, no Pey, you have to understand Dad would kill us if he knew we had drugged Natalie's drink and came down here. No instead we are going to see what pages of the Book of Shadows we can get to appear in a hologram like Wyatt does and then we can go and attack the ones we know Dad won't mind us attacking." Peyton gave him a look and began to move her mouth again preparing to speak since the freeze had worn off, but the minute Parker met her eyes he quickly refroze her mouth knowing that whatever she said next was not going to end well for him. Sure enough he was spot on as he heard his Dad's voice bellow out.

"Parker Nathan Halliwell, release your sister immediately!" One look at their father's face and both kids immediately relinquished whatever magic they had been using on the other. Chris marched straight up to them watching as they shriveled back after taking in the look of determination present on his face. "While I must say I'm impressed at the path your freezing has accelerated on, I will not have you using it against Peyton. Als-"

"But she-" Parker interrupted getting ready to plead his case. But immediately shut up at the death look he received from both his sister and father.

"I don't care who started it Parker, I'm not going to tell you that you're older and wiser and should know better than to retaliate because lets face it, us Halliwell's are not the most reliable bunch when it comes to not arguing with our siblings. I mean look what has happened to Wyatt as a result of my refusal to join him. Despite all that, Peyton you to should have known better than to drag magic into your fight. And all of that pales in comparison to your plan to go Demon hunting without my knowledge. In case you haven't noticed I have always answered your calls and I always will, you're my children and you come before anything. Besides have you even considered the personal gain element of creating a holographic version of the book." Chris looked expectantly at Parker and waited for him to either agree or disagree and when he shook his head Chris finally continued. "Okay here's the deal, I pick the demon, you take Natalie with you and train her, if anything gets out of hand call me immediately and if one of you even comes close to dying or God forbid dies I will find a spell to bring you back to life only to kill you myself, as I will not be the one left to face your mother's wrath when we return to the future and give her her memory back."

"Promise!" they chorused, but Chris knew this wasn't enough, so bending down to eye level he called on the most sacred trust display known in the playground. Chris stuck his pinky proud in the air.

"Pinky promise me." Chris watched as both his kids faces were lined with despair and then quickly hope an he realised they found a loop hole. He watched as Peyton's mini pinky urged closer to his own. "No crossies." Chris hid his smile when they both took on that hopeless expression again. Reluctantly Peyton and Parker each took one of Chris' pinky's and curled their own pinky around it.

"We promise." Was mumbled to reinforce their discontent.

"Okay, since I don't have time to find something for you today and once Natalie wakes up I'm pretty sure she has a art class to attend, you can stay with me today but that means no one can see you and I'm not gonna be able to hold onto you so I'll need you to grab onto me before we leave anywhere. Do we have a deal?" When both nodded their heads in agreement, Chris turned and looked around the cave again and fought to keep the proud smile off his face as he examine just how much damage his two little devils had caused. One of the only reason's he was ever able to stomach the stench of the Underworld was because he was able to unleash his true power and see the force of power his children possessed.

Chris turned back around to face Peyton and Parker and found them quietly bickering about which one got them in trouble. All three were too distracted to notice the demon shimmer in and raise an energy ball. Peyton felt the familiar felt power surge of the energy ball and looked up just in time to see the ball inches from hitting her brother and herself. Suddenly Chris' agony filled moan filled their ears before the whoosh of orbing overcame them. Peyton and Parker landed on a surprisingly soft surface and looked down to see their father wincing in pain as the wound began leaking blood. Peyton quickly conjured a set of towels and put pressure on the wound, her stomach lurching at the sight of her dad once again bloodied because of them. Parker placed his hand under his father's back as Peyton and him moved Chris' body gently so that it was raised and the injury was exposed to the air. Chris ground his teeth together at the pain they were inflicting by moving him but the last thing he wanted to do was let them know that, after all the energy ball hit was bad but he had worse and it would heal rather fast if they would just stop moving him. Yet Chris knew that was an impossibility as both Peyton and Parker would be blaming themselves for this and if they were able to heal him their guilt would decrease a little. Soon enough Chris felt the warm, tingling, loving feeling that accompanied being healed and the pain shut off instantly.

"Oh my God." Natalie's voice rang through the room as she took in the amount of blood on the floor, in the towel Noah was holding and the massive hole in Chris' shirt. "Chris are you alright?" Natalie's voice held nothing but complete concern over the young man standing in front of her, she may only be five years older than him but at times he reminded her of a young teenager who needs a mother's love. She watched as Chris' face filled with longing and was fairly sure no one other than the two little trouble makers next to him had shown him any form of compassion, concern or love in a long time. Of course she understood their was Bianca but from the stories she was told, Bianca strikes her as more of a tough love kind of person. Natalie wrapped her arms around Chris and pulled him to her chest, stroking his hair softly whilst looking him over for other injuries.

Parker stood there dumbfounded as he watched his father get fussed over by their babysitter and quietly marveled in the fact that he was not resisting the contact or the show of affection. In the future the only people Chris had ever been himself around was him, Peyton, their mother - and even then it was more of a 'baby you okay?' and 'I will be soon enough' kind of conversation and finally his Aunt Prue. Parker wasn't naive enough to not understand that his father had missed out on this form of caring once Piper, the sisters and their great grandfather had passed away. Leo was never an option and that simply left their small screwed up family along with Wyatt's creepy form of affection - take over the world and threaten the ones Chris loves simple to get him by his side as a joint ruler so they can be together forever - cause that spells family love.

Peyton quickly said a spell to make the blood disappear and looked over at Natalie and her father before slowly crawling into his lap. She buried her head in his chest once his arms wrapped firmly around her waist. Chris breathed in the comforting smell of Peyton's shampoo and felt some of his energy return as he realised she was lending some of hers to him through a mixture of telepathy and empathy. Once the full effect of Parker's healing shone through along with Peyton's minor energy manipulation Chris heard Phoebe completely loosing her mind as a result of the feeling overload at the manor. Chris straitened up and his face took on the mask of indifference he wore whenever in the sisters presence. "Natalie, I'm terribly sorry about interrupting your nap, let me make it up to you. I'll take the kids for the day and you can go to your art class and take care of anything you may need." Natalie nodded, despite the feelings she had over not seeing the two little ones she was beginning to see as her own family, she did have a variety of things to take care of.

"Sure Chris, thanks. I'll head right out." Natalie placed a soft kiss on his cheek and then one on each of the little rascals before she raced out the oak door, letting it swing shut behind her.

Chris turned to Parker and Peyton and given he couldn't see them but could still feel Peyton in his lap he assumed they had already taken the potion. He could feel Peyton wriggling in anticipation for whatever big disastrous day the sisters were undertaking. Chris held out his hand waiting till he felt Parker and orbed to the main hallway in the manor. The first thing he noticed was Phoebe looking utterly distressed and knew his fluctuating emotions were not going to help her at all. He knew he needed to get the potion from the old man but he couldn't afford to have Leo snooping around. Figuring it may take Phoebe's mind off whatever was causing to react in such a foul way Chris called out to her.

"You haven't seen Leo, have you?" Chris was simply sent a scowl in return. Phoebe didn't notice the torn shirt and dried blood as she turned hastily back to the kitchen and called over her shoulder. "Oh, Chris, not now."

Chris left them both in the lounge room as he scoured the rest of the house for Leo and Demons. Happily not finding either he returned to the kitchen. "So I checked the house, no sign of..." Chris was immediately cut off as a result of Piper and Phoebe arguing about Piper's date and whether she will or wont cancel it. Chris was smiling about the fact that Piper was still reluctant to go on the date meaning their was hope for his existence after all. However he was immediately put on high alert when Phoebe began her line of accusation and began pointing fingers about people's feelings.

"Someone's hiding something from me." Chris immediately called for Peyton and Parker to come from the lounge room and hoped they were actually tuned into his thoughts at the moment. Sure enough seconds later he felt two pulls at the back of his shirt and prepared to make his exit.

"Just let me know if anyone sees Leo, okay?" All the sisters nodded half-committed and he orbed out. Chris arrived at a cave that hadn't changed in the future. Chris knew that once he got the potion one time all he needed was for Parker and Peyton to see it and know what the ingredients were and they would be able to conjure it for him next time, they would simply skip the middle man. As Chris inquired about the potion, the man smiled condescendingly at him and Peyton cringed, moving closer to her father and away from the elderly toothless man.

"All sold out I'm afraid. Good for me, bad for you." He laughed maniacally knowing he could get the young Whitelighter to get him whatever he needed without needing to lift a finger.

"Well, how long will it take you to make more?" Chris growled impatiently at the man. Parker straitened up knowing that his father did not speak like that to many people and immediately understood that this mission was incredibly important and he needed to pay attention to every aspect of it.

"The potion you desire is pricey for a reason. The main ingredient is quite rare and hard to come by. What secret are you so eager to hide?" The man question knowing he would get nothing other than more determination to get the potion.

"Just tell me how long." Chris was growing increasingly impatient and was grateful when his children took one hand each and held it at his sides in an attempt to stop him from using his powers and blowing his cover.

"Hard to say. Six weeks or months. Demonic suppliers are notoriously unreliable."

"Well, I can't wait, alright. I need it now."

"The impatience of youth. Then again he takes a young heart to brave grave danger." The man began as he glanced at the younger man and could see his patience wavering.

"Spare me the Morpheus speech, old man. What are you saying?"

"Swamp Land is where you'll find the Kotochul egg your potion requires. Now you understand the difficulty." While Chris was busy formulating a plan on how exactly he would get the egg, Peyton sensed another presence in the room and it felt somewhat familiar. Feeling out with her mind she could sense an invisibility meaning it was someone from Up There, but she couldn't see who.

"Fine. I'll get you your damn egg. Just make sure you're ready by the time I get back." Chris prepared to orb away still feeling each of his children on either side, Peyton was in the process of reciting a spell and pulled on her father's hand telling him to wait. Once it was finished the invisibility moved a bit and in front of her stood Leo from the past. _'Now Daddy, get us out of here now. Leo's following us."_

Chris spared a glance at the wall and following his daughter's orders, he orbed them straight to the swamp land, knowing there was no way in hell Leo would follow them in there. He would just wait for his trail to leave and follow him again, which gave them the perfect opportunity talk.

Peyton looked down in disgust as she felt her boots fill with mud and other unknown substances from the swamp they landed in. Parker pinched his nose and made a sound of protest as he took in the foul odors that accommodated with the horrid place. Chris winced as he heard them protesting the current conditions in his head. Obviously figuring they would be able to yell louder if it was directly in his mind, this was one of the few instances in which Chris was wary of their telepathy. He could already feel the headache building.

"Okay this would definitely fall under the 'personal gain' category Dad so what do you expect us to do." Parker pointed out still annoyed at that rule, he understood the importance of not letting the power get out of control - prime example, Wyatt - but a few things here or there should be allowed. Besides he really did not want to have to sift through all this muck. Peyton simply laughed in agreement and started coughing as the polluted air found it's way down her throat, she quickly conjured up three masks similar to what a firefighter would wear and gave one to her brother and daddy. At least now Chris was able to see them.

"Fine here's the deal we sift through this for an hour, we can sing any song while we work and you guys can watch whatever movie you want on the laptop when I drop you off at the manor in an hour. If we haven't found it before we finish I'll come back and look myself. Deal?" Once he saw their masks moving in confirmation, Chris arranged a grid like system according to their respective sizes and sent them off. Between the three of them at the hour mark they had already searched 95% of the place and there was no egg, leaving only a small section left for Chris to finish on his own. Parker and Peyton both felt somewhat guilty for leaving when there was only a small section left to search but they could barely handle standing upright as the gasses had started to leak through the mask's protection and their shoes' ability to protect against the liquid was long gone, they might as well be standing in the swamp barefoot. They carefully made their way back to their father careful not to shimmer or orb, regardless of how much they wanted to, if they wanted to make sure Leo was not suspicious. Flinging their arms around his sturdy frame, they held on for dear life, ditching the masks. Making a pact with each other to never ever return to the Swamp Land certain that they would definitely remember how to conjure this potion after this experience. Chris chuckled at their antics, picked them up and after quickly saying a spell to remove the muck from Peyton and Parker's clothes he orbed back to the manor where Phoebe had just called him.

"Yeah." Chris said the minute his feet landed, holding back a laugh as he felt Peyton immediately jump from his arms and start for the stairs. Parker however simply shimmered out of his arms.

"Hey, I need you to watch Wyatt for me." Phoebe said as if that was what Chris' day job was.

"What? No, no way." He said, shaking his head to emphasise his point, annoyed when his hair flicked him in the eye reminding him of that haircut he was in need of and that he needed to take the kids as well.

"What's wrong? Why you worried?" Phoebe said condescendingly, assuming that if she pressed the right buttons Chris would cave simply to prove her wrong. Chris however knew he had no choice but to stick to his original plan and getting to know his big brother as a toddler was not on it. He loved Wyatt and he understood that at this point there was nothing he could hold against an innocent child. Chris knew that if it was anyone other than him they would not hesitate to kill Wyatt and stop the tyrant in his tracks, while he had control he was not willing to tempt fate by leaving them alone together.

"What's wrong? What's wrong is I don't do babies. 'One and under' crowd, not my thing. Leo, however..." Chris trailed off as Leo orbed in, "great with kids, especially his own." Chris finished clasping Leo on the shoulder as he went past. "You're not following me are you?" Chris stated in a way that assured Leo that he was aware of what he was doing.

"Why? Should I be?" Leo accused Chris angrily. Phoebe held her head as her emotions jumped all over the place and she struggled to pinpoint which ones were hers. The one thing she wanted to dispel immediately was the rage, hate and resentment as it was growing too much, too fast and Phoebe immediately knew they were Chris' emotions and wasn't able to analyse them properly since they were too overwhelming.

"Oh, there's a lot of love in this room." Phoebe turned on her heel and looked Leo in the eye and began repeating the instructions Piper had told her so many times. "Okay, so, um, there's a bottle in the fridge if Wyatt wakes up and the diaper rash cream, only if he needs it, okay? We've gotta keep that butt moist." Phoebe made her break for the kitchen needing to clear her head. But not before she heard Chris' biting remark.

"Did you get that?" Chris almost laughed at the look of foreboding on Leo's face, knowing that despite being put on the spot he would help Wyatt in ways he had never helped Chris. With that said Chris orbed straight out and into the attic. Unfortunately Peyton and Parker were slowly becoming more solid, and they had run out of one of the main ingredients needed to create or conjure any more of the potion. Personal Gain didn't heavily factor in with potions and they couldn't risk the repercussions involved in a wrongly worded spell. Chris ran over to them and moved them to one of the corners of the attic that was hardly used. Creating a fort like structure out of the packed up boxes he set them down in the middle of it. Glancing at the playlist he looked at the selection they had set up. 'Finding Nemo' and 'Despicable Me'. He glared at them for a moment. "You brought movies from the future." He stated as opposed to question, but Parker decided to answer it anyway.

"Yep, we're here so why can't they be. Beside they're both future classics **and** 'Finding Nemo' comes out later this year anyway." Peyton nodded her head and added her own little impromptu mash-up quote "_Esc-a-pay._ I wonder what that means? That's funny, it's spelled just like the word _escape_. P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. It's so fluffy, I'm gonna die!" Chris couldn't help but laugh at Peyton's attempts to prove that in the screwed up world they lived in these two were still 'classic children movies' despite the inaccessibility to TV other than Wyatt the supreme ruler's gloating channel. Quickly scooping her up in a big hug he made sure they had the necessary things like headphones and pillows, he knew they would conjure anything if they were hungry or thirsty but he was still worried about them, as all parents are.

"Dad, I think you need to let Pey go she can't breathe." Parker stated watching his sister flail around in their dad's arms while he remained lost in thought. "Sorry. Now remember if you get tired call me and I'll come get you but I'm not leaving you alone in Natalie's house on her day off. Who knows what damage you'll do." Chris added as an after thought resulting in him being hit by both of them. "Call me if you need anything and under no circumstances do you let the sisters or Leo know you're here. Quick glamour up." Once he was reassured of their blonde haired, no Halliwell markers in sight state, Chris ruffled Parker's hair affectionately, gave them both a kiss before he orbed back to Swamp Land.

The minute Chris landed he wished he had thought to bring Peyton's mask along. As soon as the thought crossed his mind he was aware of a small bundle of yellow lights appearing in front of him. Chris watched as the mask materialized in his hands. _'Here you go Daddy.' _sounded in his head.

Chris sent his silent thanks to Peyton, smiling at just how much his kids looked after him. After all they healed him, kept him sane, cared for him and still maintained a level of childhood innocence that allowed him to occasionally glimpse a preview of what the world will be like in the future.

Chris finally finished searching after another hour and came across three eggs in one place. He orbed them back to their room at Natalie's place knowing the cloaking spell was still placed on it, and was immediately alerted to a major fight going on between Phoebe and Paige. While he knew he was capable of taking care of it, he knew he could play on Piper's guilty conscience of abandoning her sisters to cut short her date with 'Seth'. Honestly who names a kid Seth, the only Seth's he knew of were either evil people or demons pretending to be Egyptian Gods and cult leaders or comedians. None of which screams out date worthy.

Chris didn't even bother changing his shirt as he walked over to Piper knowing he could also rely on her maternal instincts to help anyone for whom hygiene was apparently a problem. Piper was busy trying to field an awkward response about her marital status when her whitelighter walked up and she felt a mix of relief, and then shame for feeling relieved.

"Piper." Chris said readily ignoring Seth.

"What are you doing here?" Piper's initial annoyance that seemed to arrive exactly when Chris was in her presence was immediately replaced with concern when she took in his state. "Why are you covered in mud?"

"Excuse me a second. Who's this?" Seth voiced, unnerved at the albeit subconscious but easy rapport the two had going.

"Me? I'm from the future." Chris deadpanned quirking an eyebrow. Piper shot a look at Chris that redefined the saying 'if looks could kill.' She was furious that he was never straightforward with them but the minute a stranger asks him a question he's Mr. Helpful.

"What?" Seth spluttered as he attempted to not choke on his water. Chris shot him a look of distaste and Seth couldn't help but shrink back from the intensity, causing Chris to smirk.

"Excuse us." Piper's claws latched onto chris' arm as she dragged him across the room missing the smug look he shot at Seth. "Are you crazy?" Chris contemplated the statement for a moment as he had seriously considered it on the odd occasion, as only a crazy person would put themselves through seeing their dead relatives, risk their own neck and leave everyone they loved - with the exception of two devilish bundles of joy - behind in hope of a better future. Then Chris realised she was probably talking about Seth.

"You're not serious about that guy are you?" Chris let his abhorrence lace his words.

"Well, uh... You know what, that is none of your business." Piper finished wondering why she had even started to give Chris an answer. "Where have you been?" She stated peering at his dirt covered clothes and finally taking in the smell that was leaking from him.

"That's none of your business." He shot back at her, watching as she breathed out irritated at his usual closed-lipped behaviour. "Look, you better get home before your sisters kill each other." Chris finished hoping he was exaggerating, since the sounds flittering through his head were not exactly reassuring.

"What? Why? What happened?" Chris just observed as realisation dawned on his mothe- no on Piper "Oh, no, Phoebe?" Chris simply nodded and grabbed her hand before they orbed out.

Piper winced as she recovered from orbing and was immediately assaulted by her sisters arguing. She was suddenly overcome with a sense of sympathy for what Chris must have to go through each day as a result of them. Shocked at her traitorous feelings she pushed them aside and attempted to gain control over her sisters by emitting an ear splitting whistle.

"Hi, hey, what is this about a war?" She asked.

"Ask Miss Buttinsky over there. She was with the Callaways when they killed Richard's dad." Paige stated getting into full on blame mode.

Chris' attention was drawn away as he heard Peyton and Parker's commentary on the matter in his head. _'It's just like Romeo and Juliet, Daddy. Besides they should just skip to the end... Romeo dies big shocker, besides from what I remember about this Richard, I really don't like him.' _Chris shook his head amused that Peyton was going to be able to view her favourite bedtime story played out with family members. _'Pey's right Dad, at least Uncle Henry is cool enough to have a gun. Richard's just a non-magic using, magic addicted loser.'_

Chris' focus was once again called into attention as Leo came down the stairs.

"Hey, can you guys keep it down? I just got Wyatt to sleep." Chris pushed down feelings of jealousy over the fact that Wyatt got a father despite his elder duties and focused on hiding the loathsome feelings towards Leo from Phoebe.

"What are you doing here?" Piper asked as she shot an annoyed glare at her sisters.

"Okay, in the living room, in the living room, let's go, let's go." Phoebe herded everyone towards the living room and Chris took the opportunity to try to leave and get the potion.

"Can I go now?" He asked hopefully after the sisters.

"No." Leo responded, but Chris simply rolled his eyes and made to orb away when Leo grabbed onto him and dragged him into the living room.

"Paige, I'm telling you the energy ball did not come from the Callaways." Phoebe began defending her section of the feud and Paige argued back trying to see the logical path of events.

"I saw it come through the Callaways' window."

"It couldn't have." Phoebe was in adamant at what had occurred but it wasn't enough to convince Paige.

"Oh, she's not only butting in, she's taking sides." Paige exclaimed as she through up her hands in exasperation.

"Look, Paige, it's not only what I saw but it's what I felt. Don't you think if they just tried to kill someone I would have felt some intense anger coming from them? But I didn't." Phoebe knew that was the most logical reasoning she could place in front of Paige.

"I don't know. Are you sensing any intense anger coming at you right now?" Paige asked sarcastically throwing Phoebe's reasoning back in her face.

"No, but what I can sense is that maybe your attraction to this Richard guy is clouding your better judgement." Paige wanted to severely damage Phoebe at the moment and the intensity of it caused Phoebe to wince a bit and consider a different tactic.

"I hate talking to an empath." Paige huffed as she saw no way of winning.

"Wait a second, hold it. Didn't they fire on the Callaway grandmother when you got hurt? Maybe this is just retribution." Piper added seeing the flaws in the logic as she was the only one distanced enough from the case to do so.

"No, Richard said his family didn't fire on them. I believe him." Paige was annoyed at herself as she realised just how much of her reasoning came from her brief encounters with Richard and that was only a result of her ridiculous crush.

"Then where did the energy ball come from? They don't just materialize." Phoebe argued annoyed at having to play Devil's advocate

"Maybe they do." Piper's reasoning threw all of them through a loop, yet Leo was the only one willing to voice his confusion, causing Piper to elaborate. "Well, if Richard says it was no one in his family, maybe it was somebody else, maybe a third party."

"If so, the two families need to know before this escalates any further." Leo said his military past shining through his elder garb.

"You've been in both houses, do you think you can get them to come here?" Piper threw at Paige, who looked miffed that she had been too involved to notice that possibility.

"What do you mean, like peace talks?" Paige snorted at the suggestion to hide her jealousy at the experience that came with the three year head start.

"Yeah, why not." Piper shrugged as if she was suggesting what they have for lunch. Chris shook his head as he wondered not for the first time what normal families discussed, the only things he could think of were both incredibly boring and simplistic.

"You've got an Elder right here, who better to mediate. Good luck." Chris stated and orbed out before anyone noticed that was what he was doing.

Moments later Chris was face to face with the old man again handing over the precious Kotochul egg. "Nicely done. These aren't easy to find." The man complemented him, actually impressed at the speed in which he had completed the task.

"Tell me about it. How long before it's ready?" Chris demanded impatiently.

"You'll have it when you need it." The old man said as the creepy smile on his face reached new limits. Chris sighed and began to pace while waiting for the potion to be done.

Meanwhile at the manor Peyton's stomach was growling loud enough for Parker to pause the movie just as Nemo and Dory are trying to convince the fish to swim down and save themselves. "Pey, can you just conjure some food, I'm sure they have Nutella somewhere in the house just make yourself a sandwich and grab an apple to make it somewhat healthy. Please just eat so I can concentrate." Parker had his arms around her shoulders and was lightly shaking her to get his point across. Peyton smiled sheepishly in return and waved her hand and two meals were placed in front of them. "It was only grumbling so loud because I could feel your hunger as well and because I was so hungry, I couldn't tune out your feelings like normal." Parker watched a tear left her eye, he quickly bent down and wiped it away overcome with a huge wave of guilt for yelling at her. Peyton started crying more as she felt her brother's guilt coupled with her own for making him feel that way in the first place. So she quickly looked around trying to find something to distract them with, as it appeared Nemo wouldn't be watched until they were both calm and sufficiently fed. Finally she noticed a box in the opposite corner was labelled photos.

Using her telekinesis since she couldn't risk orbing, Peyton called for the photo albums in her mind and watched contently as they arrived. Parker started to feel at bit better at the smile on Peyton's face even if he didn't know what was causing it. Pulling her closer to him, Parker crushed her to his side and gave her a quick kiss on the head and gently plaited her hair like he knew she liked it. He had watched his mother do it for her whenever she was feeling down and just like it had done then, it appeared to have a significant impact on her mood. By the time Peyton felt Parker tighten the final elastic they had a large pile of albums in front of them, ranging from portraits done in the 1800's to their Grams (Penny), Grandma Patty, Grams (Piper) and her sisters and even some of their Uncle Wyatt as a baby and a couple that included Leo. Neither of them had been able to bring themselves to call Leo 'Grandfather' as that title was solely reserved for their Gramps (Victor), they understood the fact that Piper had died before they had been born and they harbored very few bad feelings towards her as she had been a great mother to their dad, it was only her past self's reactions towards Chris that prevented them from running up to her every time they laid an eye on her. Paige and Phoebe had been great to them until Wyatt killed them a year ago as punishment for Chris not joining them and that had been the day when the severity of Wyatt's turn to evil had set in for all 3 of them.

Peyton and Parker smiled as they traced the outline of their Auntie Prue in her photos. As they looked at the hand drawn portraits, they searched for features which they could see on the other's face. But what really drew them in was the photos of baby Wyatt. There was a spark in his eyes that he didn't have in the future. Peyton thought that was the sign of a pure and good person, while Parker simply thought it showed that he did in fact have a soul at some point. Eventually Peyton decided they needed hot chocolates as well so moments later a steaming cup of sugary goodness appeared in their hands, while Parker passed his marshmallow to her as a peace offering. They were silently lost in their own thoughts when loud chatter made it's way through the attic door causing them to huddle into each other and await a possibly dangerous situation.

Instead they were greeted by the cast of 'Romeo and Juliet' talking about some ghost who wanted to get even, Peyton immediately pointed out it was going to be the 'Juliet' character lost without her 'Romeo'. They enjoyed watching the sisters work and Peyton tried to keep her giggling to a minimum when after her guess was confirmed by Olivia turning out to be the pissed off spirit, Parker simply sat next to her attempting to change everything they were saying to the English used in Shakespeare's time by using a lot of doth's and a snooty accent.

Parker immediately jumped into action as Ovlia let out a gust of wind knocking everyone backward and escaping. He grabbed onto Peyton who still had her hands wrapped around the laptop and photos and shimmered them out of the attic just as a desk would have crushed where they were.

Parker reformed in the living room and he and Peyton quickly raced to sit by the wall listening to what was going on.

"Richard, wait!" They heard their Aunt Paige call out as she ran down the stars after that idiot. No one would ever be as cool as their Uncle Henry. Well except perhaps Uncle Coop (in Peyton's eyes) and no one, absolutely no one would ever in a million years be cooler, more loving, caring and awesome than their Daddy.

They watched as Olivia reappeared in front of Paige's body. "Why don't we go after Richard together?" she suggested as she possessed Paige's body. _'You go right ahead, we don't want him anyway'_ Peyton snarkily projected into Olivia/Paige's mind and was pulled back by Parker when Olivia's head snapped in their direction before she left.

"Peyton!" Parker scolded her as he shook his head at her actions.

"What? It's true and you know it, she is better off without him. Besides think about Uncle Henry." Peyton stated logically and watched as Parker fought back a smile.

"Doesn't matter, you know we are not supposed to get involved. Besides we promised Dad we would not let the sister's catch us."

"Yeah and it wasn't Aunt Paige it was Olivia, besides Daddy said nothing about no crossies this time." She said as she waggled her intertwined fingers at him teasingly as her eyes sparkled the colour still slightly changing despite the glamour. They shone with anticipation and excitement as she asked the million dollar question. "Should we tell them Auntie Paige has been possessed?"

Parker considered for a moment before responding, pushing his hair back in a way his dad did. "No, I'm sure they can handle it. Let's just go up to Grams' room and finish watching Finding Nemo and get started on Despicable Me before Dad gets back. Can you tell him we moved?" Parker waited for her to nod saying it was done before he orbed her up to the comfy bed and they stretched out under the covers breathing in the comforting smells of their grams, sandalwood and rose.

Chris was pissed at being stuck in this cave for any longer than necessary. Peyton had already sent him a message telling them they had moved but not what had happened and judging from the mess the sisters minds were in he assumed something serious had happened, but he needed this potion more than anything as it was detrimental to his overall goal. Chris watched with bated breath as the old man slowly poured the liquid into a vial.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" He wasn't dumb enough to trust the man and without his wrap being built up by the battles he survived against Wyatt, there was no need for the man to be fearful enough to not double cross him.

"As long as it doesn't make you violently ill. Side effects, you never know." His toothy grin grew once again and Chris fought the urge to pull back and tried to calm his stomach.

"Thanks for the tip." Chris' sarcasm heavily laced his words.

"You sure it's worth the risk?" The old man was genuinely curious as to what a whitelighter would need this particular potion for.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't." All sarcasm and disgust was pushed aside as Chris for once spoke the God's honest truth and that in itself was enough to make the man not want to ask any further questions.

Chris grabbed the potion hastily, anxious to leave the cave and get back to his real charges, who were quickly growing tired and were not going to be able to keep up the glamour for long.

"He won't tell me." The old man's response startled Chris before he realised Leo must still be around and he was grateful he had only been slightly honest. But given that he wasn't supposed to know Leo was there Chris answered the man as if he had been talking to him.

"Tell you what?" curiosity oozed into his statement, so much so that Chris was worried about someone noticing.

"What you need the potion for." Leo's voice sounded before he made himself visible obviously trying to scare him with some Elder power crap. "Other than to hide your secrets that is." Discontent reinforced the threat and accusation but Chris simple rolled his eyes.

"What? This was all a set-up? Is this even legit?" Chris turned to the man suddenly worried about the potion not working. He could handle suspicious, evil, manipulative, untrusting, horrible Leo. What he wouldn't be able to handle is father-like Leo trying to make up for his actions in the past, present or future.

"It's legit alright. But I'm afraid you have to answer to a higher power now." Chris breathed out a sigh, he had already been in enough shit with the elders in his time, besides it's not as if they were still alive and all powerful and only Chris knew how Wyatt really took them out and it all started with the weak, hypocritical, self-centered link in front of him.

"Go ahead, take it." Chris threw the potion to Leo his mind already lines ahead in the predictable conversation. "It wasn't for me anyway." Chris emphasised his point with a shrug.

"Really?" Leo raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"I got it for the sisters. Phoebe's new power is wreaking havoc on their relationship, or haven't you noticed?" The barely hidden mockery and condescending tone made Leo furious which in turn made Chris choke on laughter, he wasn't even born yet and he still managed to piss his father off.

"You expect me to believe this wasn't meant to protect your secrets?" Leo spat out annoyed at how he had not noticed the tension between the sisters.

"No, I don't. But seeing as you haven't figured me out yet, why would I even need it?" Chris smirked smugly at the comment regardless of how close to home it hit.

"Don't get too cocky, kid. Wouldn't want me to clip your wings now, would you?" Leo laughed right back believing he had one over on Chris not realising that the last Elder in the future had given him immunity to the offensive powers of all past Elders as he lay dying.

However the jingle in Leo and Chris' head immediately cut off Chris' scathing retort and he reworked his angle.

"Whoops, looks like Wyatt needs another babysitter, dad." Chris sneered on the word Dad, yet it was lost on Leo as he was already orbing out. The minute Peyton informed him that Leo was in fact at the manor, Chris turned to the man and used his Telekinesis to pull him up the cave wall. "Alright, I have to ask you to make another one." Chris smirked as he tightened his grip informing the old man he would not stand for the distractions and jokes the last time entailed and he was in no means to go to the Elders with this new information.

Chris orbed back into the manor and hour later when he heard Piper call him. He 'reluctantly' agreed to watch Wyatt while they went and rescued Paige and Richard. Once the coast was clear, Peyton and Parker walked out. Peyton was wavering on her feet as she fought to stay awake and Parker didn't seem to be faring much better. Chris scooped them both up and returned to the attic. He waved his hand making all the furniture fix itself and grabbed the plates and cups left over from their earlier movie night. Chris orbed them to the sink where he knew Piper would do them without question and while he felt bad about it, he was busy trying to take care of two exhausted children and one baby who will become the future definition of Evil. Chris turned to Wyatt's room and stretched out on the rocking chair. Pulling his kids to his chest.

"It's okay baby girl, you can drop the glamour now." Chris stroked Peyton's hair lovingly and watched as mid nod her eyes drooped and never reopened. Chris turned to look at Parker and found him in the exact same position except his mouth was half open with his tongue hanging out like a dog. Chris looked over at his baby sized older brother sleeping as peacefully as the other two.

They were all relatively quiet for around half an hour with the exception of the odd snore or sigh. When all of a sudden he felt Parker go rigid in his arms and he began pleading with Uncle Wyatt to please stop. By this point Wyatt had also woken up and was peering at the other boy curious as to what he should be stopping and why he was calling him Uncle. Chris rubbed his hand up and down Parker's back trying to calm him down or wake him up whichever of the two worked first. When Peyton went as rigid as Parker and it was obvious his dream had leaked into her mind through their telepathic bond. Peyton began thrashing wildly and despite how much Chris tried to wake each of them they were unresponsive, they hadn't had nightmares as bad as this since they had returned to the past and Chris could only assume that it was because they could sense Wyatt's magic and presence in the room with them, Chris unconsciously glared at his brother causing Wyatt to shrink back. Chris almost laughed at the irony of the situation, the precious twice blessed child, future source of all evil was shrinking away from him as the result of a glare. He guessed it was true what they said, never mess with someone who's loved one is in pain.

Chris rushed them out of Wyatt's room knowing that his link with Wyatt was now reconnected enough to know if he was in danger. Placing them in Piper's bed he, raced to the bathroom and grabbed two washcloths, washing them with cool water before running straight back. He focused on Parker first who's chocolate brown hair was slick with sweat and he took the cloth and began applying the cool material to his son's face, trying to control the reaction to the dream as best as possible. He felt Wyatt orb in next to him and watched as Peyton stiffened again before whimpering and he watched in amazement as after placing the other washcloth on her forehead she relaxed enough to orb in her Wuvey, which once upon a time had belonged to Wyatt. The minute it was in her arms she began to relax and the tension slowly left her as the thrashing calmed.

Wyatt looked at the two kids with the strange man who he had never fully trusted till this moment. Walking closer to Chris, Wyatt tugged on his hand causing the young man to look down at him aggravated. Wyatt held his own Wuvey out to Chris and gestured to Parker's body which seemed to have calmed a bit as a result of Peyton's interference in the dream but was still horribly tensed and he now had tears streaming down his face as he called out for his Auntie Paige and Auntie Phoebe. Chris knew he was re-watching their deaths and wished more than anything he could stop it. Chris understood that Wyatt could have simply orbed the bear into Parker's arms but this was his way of showing his trust of Chris. Chris sat on the bed and pulled Parker into his arms, placing Wuvey in Parker's arms, as he stroked his sweat soaked head and gripped onto Peyton's clammy hand. Slowly the tension leaked out of his small body. Chris breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Parker's breathing return to normal.

Chris felt Peyton seeking him out in her sleep and pulled her closer as she rested her head against his leg and he watched as her hands grabbed onto both his and Parker's. Parker relaxed even more at the slight contact and Chris felt the energy drain him even faster than he was used to and assumed Peyton had taken some of it to help her and her brother. Chris could feel his eyes getting heavier and barely noticed when Wyatt orbed onto the bed and curled into Chris' free side before gripping onto his Wuvey's leg which was hanging off to the side of both Chris and Parker's bodies. With the three of them sleeping peacefully again Chris felt himself finally give into the darkness that claimed him in his dreamless sleep.

A few hours later Parker was shocked awake at the sound of orbs, and grabbed onto Peyton's arm and shimmering out of the room leaving the Wuvey from the past in Wyatt's arms. Chris was still to worn to wake but he immediately tensed at the lack of weight he had grown accustomed to when he was sleeping. Moving slightly his arms wrapped protectively around Wyatt who in return raised his shield encompassing both of them.

In Wyatt's room Piper, Paige and Phoebe had just orbed in and were immediately distressed when neither Chris or Wyatt were there. They ran straight out and moved towards the attic when a flash of blue caught Paige's eye. She stopped immediately causing Phoebe to crash into her with a groan of protest before she turned to follow Paige into Piper's room, Piper continued on her way to the attic throwing swearwords every which way and making promises about what she was going to do to Chris. Once she arrived at the attic she was peeved when Chris was no where in sight but was temporarily stunned by the clean state of the attic and as she turned around she realised her sisters hadn't followed, so she turned back to see what could possibly have been thought of greater importance than finding their nephew. She arrived back on the landing in time to see Phoebe stalk quietly into her bedroom. Piper's curiosity was immediately piked and hurried to her door. "What are you -" Piper began her voice raised slightly when she was immediately shushed by both her younger sisters.

Huffing, Piper moved past them but only managed to get so far before her feet stopped in their path. Spread out on her bed, lay Wyatt wrapped protectively in Chris' arms and Wyatt's shield for once not only protecting himself but Chris as well. In the entire time they had known Chris they had never seen him as at peace as he appeared to be. Piper wasn't about to jump on the 'Chris is telling the truth and doesn't want to hurt Wyatt' ship, as the truth he was speaking about was too much for Piper to bare, why would anyone want to hurt her baby and how would they even get past the shield. But the sight before her made her trust him a fraction more in Wyatt's presence.

Phoebe understood that Chris wouldn't want to be caught in such a vulnerable position so she pushed her sisters out of the room and convinced Piper to go fix up Paige and the minute Phoebe said she would take care of tea for everyone, Piper stood up and said she would take care of Paige and then make tea for them if Phoebe could just change out of the bloodied t-shirt without staining the floor. Phoebe readily agreed and raced to her room stripping off her shirt as she went and throwing on a large sweatshirt of Prue's she liked to sleep in before rushing straight back to Piper's room.

Phoebe reached her arm out and softly stroked Chris' hair to get him to wake up without waking up Wyatt. Without knowing doing it Phoebe had started to softly sing the song that Grams used to sing to her to get her out of bed when she was little. Surprisingly Chris turned towards her and mumbled quietly for his Auntie to give him another five minutes. "Chris, Chris honey. Come on get up." Chris' eyes suddenly snapped open as if he had been doused in cold water and he instinctively pulled Wyatt a little closer before his eyes focused and he realised who it was and began to release Wyatt who began to protest and clung to Chris. Phoebe watched with wrapt attention as Chris held Wyatt's back whilst moving himself into a sitting position only to ruffle the boy's hair affectionately. Phoebe couldn't help but be amazed at the grace he had performed that with and the way in which he had done it only required one had leaving the other one free to do something else, she immediately began contemplating where he could have learnt that from when she was hit by a flood of emotions. Phoebe guessed that since their house was filled with the three sisters who she was closer with their emotions must overpower Chris' but the strength in which he felt these emotions made Phoebe wonder how that was possible. The first emotion she had been hit with was embarrassment, which she had expected, but it was soon suppressed as a result of the strength of the love and sadness he was feeling. Phoebe started at him for a moment and realised that a slight blush had covered his cheeks. Phoebe smiled warmly at the boy and held her hands out for Wyatt, but as Chris moved and began to give Wyatt to her, he began to protest and cling tighter to Chris, so much so that his beloved Wuvey fell to the floor and he didn't even care. Phoebe couldn't help the stab of pain that went through her at the action but then realised that it was not her pain that she had felt but Chris' guilt that Wyatt had rejected his Aunt in favour of their screwed up Whitelighter. These feelings caused something to stir in Phoebe and she felt incredibly guilty for some of the remarks that she had made about the young man before her. She watched again the grace with which Chris bent down and picked up the brown bear without rustling Wyatt at all, it was even better than the way Piper and Leo did it. Chris glanced at Phoebe before he moved past and she saw the apology in his eyes. He was apologising for Wyatt's behaviour? That in itself was enough to make Phoebe follow them without a second thought.

Chris moved to put Wyatt in his cot and wasn't surprised when he resisted. Though he sensed Phoebe at the door he ignored her and continued trying to put Wyatt down so he could get to Peyton and Parker who from what he could sense of them had fallen asleep at P3. "Hey Little Man, here's the deal. You let go and sleep with Wuvey through the night and don't wake up until mummy comes to get you in the morning and I promise-" Chris stopped for a moment and wound his pinky finger gently around Wyatt's pinky. "No I pinky promise, with no crossies, that I will come and play with you for an hour tomorrow and you can ask anyone I don't break my pinky promises." Phoebe stared skeptically after the speech but after seeing a small flicker of movement with Wyatt's hand, she watched as Chris lowered him into the crib with no fuss. Handing Wuvey over to him, Chris smoothed his hair in the way he had done to Parker hundreds of times and slowly ran his thumb across his forehead humming the closing line to a lullaby and Phoebe watched as Wyatt's eyes flickered open and closed for a minute before he snuggled into Wuvey and released Chris completely. Chris moved out into the hallway grabbing Wyatt's baby monitor and shut the door behind them before preparing himself for Phoebe's rant.

"Oh my God Chris, that was amazing, where did you-" Phoebe began before she cut herself off as she noticed Chris sway for a moment before regaining his balance. Regardless she held his elbow to steady him as they headed for the stairs.

"He should be out until Piper wants to get him and I'm sorry for everything I hope I didn't worry anyone back there."

"No sweetie, don't worry about it. Why don't you stay for some tea." Phoebe began as they finally made it to the kitchen. Chris turned to the other two and ran his hand through his hair, sighing before speaking.

"Sorry, thanks for the offer Phoebe but I'm exhausted, I'm just going to head to P3 and sleep. See you tomorrow. Good Night." Chris finished as he orbed out not allowing them anytime to protest.

Chris landed in time to nearly collapse as a result of how tired he was. Shuffling over to the bed he laughed as he saw Peyton get up and rub green/purple eyes showing just how worn out they were as well. He hadn't seen a shade of purple that dark since the time they had decided to stay up all night to wait for Santa. The little tricksters had managed to convince him to stay up with them only to have them finally fall asleep at six and infuriated the next day when Santa arrived while they were sleeping. Chris was glad that even in the messed up future they had had that yearly childhood ritual giving them some aspect of security. She held her arms out to be picked up and Chris moved into the spot she had vacated. Watching as Parker tensed once more before his back moved into Chris' side and then he went right back to sleeping. Peyton began humming the lullaby Chris had sung to Wyatt gesturing for Chris to continue it himself. Within moments they were both asleep, all three of them finally feeling safe and at home again.

The next day Chris woke up just in time to hear an argument going on between the sisters as a result of Phoebe's power again. He orbed Peyton and Parker to Natalie along with the breakfast he had them conjure and orbed to the manor, in time to join Piper and Paige locked outside the attic door.

"Come on, Phoebe, you can't stay in there forever." Paige reasoned with one of her older sisters, it was times like this when you could see that Phoebe was still mentally the youngest in terms of her behaviour.

"Yes, I can." Phoebe further proved that point.

"Phoebe, this is nuts. Open the door." Piper tried again for the tenth time.

"No." Came Phoebe's stubborn reply.

"Phoebe." Piper simply warned.

"Okay, let's see if this one works. 'In the name of the Halliwell line, bind my sisters from this power of mine.'" Phoebe said hoping her desperation would make the spell work.

"Phoebe." Piper was acting very calm before the storm like and Chris didn't want to be around for the storm. So Chris grabbed her and Paige's hand.

"It's not working, I can still feel your frustration." Chris orbed them in an flinched as Phoebe continued shouting. "I don't know what else to do, I've tried everything."

"Hi!" Piper yelled in return causing Phoebe to jump and look accusingly at Chris who pointed to Paige.

"You know, people lock doors for a reason." Phoebe said sarcastically hoping they'd get the message and leave.

"Yes, well, I figure if you can use your powers to intrude on my life, then I can use mine to intrude on yours." Paige was still annoyed at Phoebe's meddling and decided to deal with it appropriately - point out massive hypocrisy.

"Come on, Phoebe. None of us like this new power of yours anymore than you do, but it's pointless to isolate yourself." Piper reasoned her better judgement coming into play.

"Well, if I can't read you, I can't hurt you." Phoebe's reasoning sounded weak to her own ears.

"Well, how about instead of trying to control your power, maybe you try to, I didn't know, control yourself?" Paige said snarkily, annoyed at this ridiculous behaviour, and feeling guilty about her part in getting Phoebe to this point.

"Because, Paige, I can't. And I can sense how annoyed you are right now and that's hurting me." Phoebe flinched back from the guilt that comment caused despite her front of abrasive responses.

"Well, what's annoying me is I've discovered I have this magical destiny and I can't trust you to leave me alone for me to follow it." Paige remarked.

"What do you think I'm trying to do up here?" Phoebe stated knowing that her logic was just as stupid as Paige's but they were both to stubborn to cave.

"Okay, let's look at the bright side. We settled a family feud, we set free a tortured soul, maybe your new power and Paige's new solo path away from the sisterhood, is some kind of synergy, that it's all working together in some kind of divine way." Piper tried at a diplomatic response which only sent her sisters into giggles and a one word answer.

"Nah."

"I don't get it. Leo didn't give you the empath blocking potion?" Chris said smirking at how well Leo's little plan influenced his own.

"What potion? Leo!" Piper began and the minute Leo orbed in she began yelling at him. "Where is it?"

"Give me, give me, give me. Faster." Phoebe was growing more anxious and exasperated by the minute.

"Come on, come on, come on." Piper was frustrated at Leo's Elder superiority.

"They're really anxious about that potion you got for them." Chris added unable to resist the jibe at Leo.

"Yeah, only I think you should wait to take it. Phoebe was given her power for a reason." Leo began as he remembered the old man's warning's of side effects.

"Forget that." Piper snapped. And immediately took the potion the minute Leo offered. Passing it off to Paige, she quickly drank it and looked expectantly at Phoebe who took an small sip to be doubly sure. Chris wasn't happy about using his Mother and Aunt's as test subjects but he knew Leo would not hesitate to heal them, the same couldn't be said about himself and he couldn't risk Parker orbing in to heal him.

"Nothing, nada, zilch!" Phoebe was so excited she added in other languages.

They rejoiced and Phoebe and Paige fled the room to continue on with their 'lives'.

"So it worked, right? No nausea, queasiness, nothing like that?" He questioned Piper curiously.

"Nope, nothing." Piper said as she left the tension filled room.

"Looks like we're one big happy family again." Chris joked happily.

"You're not family." Leo stated turning out of the room. Leo's response internally cut Chris like glass as he remembered those exact words being said to him after Piper's death, actually the last words Leo had ever spoken to him. Chris buried his feelings to protect them from Phoebe and quickly guzzled the second potion in his pocket before turning with a grin and orbing to finish breakfast with his true family.


	4. ChrisCrossed Part 1

A lot had happened over the past few months. No one had brought up the nap that Wyatt and Chris took although Phoebe looked as if she were dying to finish their talk each time she saw him. But other than that things had been relatively quite, for a Halliwell anyway.

There was a rather near death incident involving a demon named Gith, a few desires, a darklighter's arrow and Chris' explicit instructions that his kids leave before the sisters got out of their alternate realities to discover his state and a call for Leo, who to no one's surprise _reluctantly_ healed Chris. To say Peyton and Parker were appalled at Leo's reluctance is like saying Wyatt's reign is contained to the Halliwell manor. In fact by the time Chris found them again they had taken out a significant chunk of the underworld and had completely trashed P3. Once again they were begrudgingly forced to clean it up, but this time Chris helped them, after all it had been his plan gone awry that had led to his condition in the first place.

Then there was the time Wyatt - the baby one of course - decided to take things into his own hands and sabotage all of his mother's dates. By the time Leo and Chris returned from the past and a rather scary predicament involving a dinosaur, Chris had gone for a beer with Leo to say it was unnerving was an understatement. Well let's just say that Chris wasn't too happy when he got back to find out not only had Paige sold her soul to a demon for a temp job, but Peyton had happily accompanied her leaving Parker in charge. You know making sure the other two sisters didn't get themselves killed or turn anyone into a turkey or a pig. Suffice to say Parker dropped the ball on that one. Peyton and Parker had been hiding out at the manor, since it was the last place he would look for them, but within moments he had tracked them down on his way to the bathroom in P3. Amazingly instead of ratting the other one out they had both owned up to what they had done, stating that it was for the greater good and that Paige had no idea she was even there. Once they had learned what had happened between Leo and Chris they had given him the famous Halliwell stare and stated something along the lines of you're one to talk.

Chris had stayed away from the manor throughout the whole sword in the stone thing. Being around that many magical creatures at once, Chris had no doubt one of them would be able to sense his power. Besides seeing Excalibur brought back many memories of the family member's Wyatt had destroyed with that legacy in order to convince Chris to join him. Understandably Peyton and Parker had also stayed clear and tried to drown out the memories with a fun day at the park with Natalie and their father, Phoebe's last breath as she was sliced through with the sword was still too raw in their mind. They had raced boats and flown kites, played tag and jump rope and they had consumed at least 3 different types of backed goods. But the best part was the ice-cream. Neither had ever tasted the stuff since Wyatt's goons patrolled the stores and streets, it was enough of a struggle for them to get the bare necessities, let alone sugary, sweet frozen treats. It almost seemed to good to be true, they orbed to various monuments that had been destroyed over the years by Wyatt. The Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Pyramids and five different types of Disneyland's. The one thing they stayed clear of was the museum's. After Wyatt turned the manor into one there was no way any of them would go willingly into a museum, while Natalie just seemed to enjoy tagging along. Finally they arrived at Natalie's house before making one last stop. Ending up at Chris and Bianca's special place he told them that their Mum would be able to hear them so whatever they wanted to say to just take turns talking to her. Chris watched along and tried to memorize it so that if need be he could make her remember by replaying this moment.

Finally what Parker believes to be the funniest event of all was when they met their Dad's friend Kyle as a baby, and Chris wanted to Vanquish him. Well until they saw Derek, and then Chris turned as white as a sheet at the thought of life without his best friend and current temporary co-leader of the Resistance. Parker thought it was especially funny given that they didn't know a lot of mid-twenty year old half manticore half humans. But Peyton was just concerned as it showed just how much stress her daddy was really under. Things seemed to be at a low for them. Low demon activity, low morale and very few leads on what evil turns Wyatt. The sisters found it relieving, gave them times to get back to their lives while Chris, Parker and Peyton found it utterly unnerving.

Finally Natalie gave up solely trying to keep them in high spirits, when she decided that they needed a normal interaction. Without a second thought she grabbed the remote and turned off Spongebob to which all three complained and tried to get the remote back but they were so worried they forgot to use magic to do it. It was only a few weeks ago Natalie had learnt the real identities of her house guests. To their surprise she laughed and laughed and laughed, for about five minutes which at that point the others had begun to question her sanity. Once she stopped laughing she simply asked if Nathan and Noah were Chris' children and he had turned to her with a sheepish smile, nodded and told her their real names. She thought about the fact that he was 24, meaning he had Parker at 18 and while she wasn't thrilled that he had become a parent so early, being around for their interactions she could think of no one who cared for their children more than Chris.

"Peyton. Parker. Chris." Natalie said each of their names individually and emphasised it by throwing their jackets at the respective person. Looking back at the clock Natalie saw that they had an hour till the mall closed but luckily with her handy teleporting house guests they would be there in seconds. If she ever managed to get the off the couch. "Come on. I have an idea. It'll be fun." Natalie finished drawing out the 'fun' causing all three to look at her with identical expressions and curiosity in their similar jade eyes. Peyton's had a orangey tinge to it which she deduced was curiosity. "Come on. Get up, we have got to get moving. Grabbing on to each of Peyton's hand, knowing she would have the greatest chance of getting through to her. "Pey, when was the last time you had a real haircut, as in they massage your head, wash and cut you hair?" Peyton simply stared at Natalie as if she was speaking a foreign language, which she did not know yet. "Peyton have you ever gotten your hair cut?" Natalie asked bending down to eye level. Peyton's eyes teared up as she looked at her father.

"Nat, there are no hairdresser's in the future, so Bianca would cut it for her, but it hasn't been cut in almost a year." Chris finished as he looked at Peyton who had let a tear escape at the mention of her mother.

"Oh sweetie, that's okay but it means I need you to drop the glamour completely and show the stylist your normal hair." Peyton immediately rushed to the bathroom and locked the door behind her as Natalie looked on trying to figure out if she had said something wrong. As she turned to Chris about to ask, Peyton came barreling down the hall pulling on her boots and a beanie. Her red trench coat securely tightened, Peyton jumped into Natalie's arms and gave her the biggest hug. She hadn't fully dropped her glamour since they arrived and she was excited to see what this new experience held. Parker was less thrilled, as he knew what lay underneath the glamour. So once Peyton had fully removed it he had simply shrugged on his jacket and pulled his hair back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck finally grateful about changing it back to it's normal short style. The length reminded him of his Uncle and that thought alone gave him the creeps. Chris thanked Natalie, giving her a kind smile as he took her hand, grabbed Parker's shoulder and orbed everyone to the alleyway beside the mall. Peyton dropped down from Natalie's arms and looked in disgust about the state of the alleyway, before turing to her Daddy.

"You know they really should do something about these alleyway's, you know clean them before Wyatt takes control and the whole city looks like one broken down alley." She huffed as her boots got green gunk on them.

"Pey, you really should start acting like a normal four year old and not the super genius you are. Give me a chance to really be the smarter, more worldly older brother." Parker commented as he rolled his eyes at his sister's attempt to remove the green goo before using his telekinesis to fling it away. "See, already I'm succeeding."

"Yeah because your two years gives you complete knowledge of the world around us that I simply lack at this primitive age." The sarcasm dripping off her words made Chris smirk, while Natalie punched him for being such an influence.

"Exactly!" Parker simply decided to take her words at face value and as a complement to avoid confrontation. He could feel Peyton glaring a hole in the back of his head. Chris knowing this was going to get out of hand fast, scooped up his baby girl and began tickling her as they walked in the front entrance. Her tinkling laugh echoed around the domed room causing other patron's too look at them harshly before seeing the joy in her eyes and either looking away in silent judgement or as most parents were doing smiling with a fond look. Finally stopping in front of the hair dresser's the woman behind the counter, snapped her blueberry blast gum noisily as she looked at the clock, waiting for her shift to end. Natalie simply looked past her and sought out who she was looking for. The minute she spotted the man with the gentle brown eyes and slight wrinkles that were a result of laughter and not frowning, a warm feeling spread throughout her being.

Chris eyed Natalie curiously, wondering why she had not bothered to get the attention of the annoying girl yet. Peyton squirmed in his arms obviously trying to use his distraction as an escape attempt, but he simply held her tighter and started the tickling again. Her bell like laughter caused the man to stop sweeping the floor and look over to the front desk. In front of him appeared to be a family, but as he examined them more carefully he realised the woman looked incredibly familiar.

"Natalie Crenshaw?" His deep voice floated to her ears and he watched as a pink tint flooded her cheeks. The minute that happened he knew he was looking at the right angel. "My darling, you look radiant." Chris smiled as the exchange between the two continued for another few minutes. "Now are these delectable children yours."

Natalie chuckled. "Jake, these two trouble makers are actually my friend Chris' here, but they may as well be family so I want you to take care of them." Natalie's voice held a power that Chris was proud to hear. It was a protective power and it warmed his heart that he had someone here who looked after him, Peyton and Parker as well as Natalie did. Jake nodded obligingly and walked around the desk and embraced Natalie in a hug that reminded him of the way he used to hug Bianca before they became official. Further proving his point Peyton's voice flickered into his head. _'Natalie and Jake sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a golden carriage!" _Chris had to hide his smile and judging by Parker's reaction he had also heard Peyton's decision. Looking at her he noticed her eyes had changed to a grey colour, a colour he learnt to associate with scheming of some kind. He clicked his finger's in front of her eyes and gave her a stern look, telling her not to get involved. Peyton nodded her head as she crossed her fingers behind her back causing Parker to erupt into fits of laughter. Natalie and Jake broke apart from their hug at the sound, as both looked at the floor embarrassed. Peyton sent a death glare at her brother for nearly giving away her 'crossies' and for causing Natalie and Jake to separate.

Jake quickly recovered and crossed over to Parker and beaconed him over. After a reassuringly look from his father, he steadied his shoulders and followed him. Sitting him down at the washing station Jake quickly undid the hair tie and marveled at the gorgeous chocolate colour of Parker's hair. "So Nathan, firstly your hair is an amazing colour and I would advise not colouring it. But other than that what did you want to do?" Jake asked as he brought one of the other hairdressers over to begin washing his hair. Parker's eyes closed at the contact and he felt his consciousness ebbing away as his head was massaged. Chris finally seeing Parker relaxed decided to leave him in that state and answered for him. "Just cut and styled, a number 2, I think should suffice. What do you think Natalie?"

"Yeah, he'll look good like that just like his Dad." Natalie finished with an affectionate smile at the end. Peyton was anxious to get started and could barely sit still as Jake made his way back over to them. "Hey Noah, you may want to take your coat off." Peyton smiled as she began undoing the buttons and slowly slipped it from her shoulders down to her wrists leaving her in just her tank top. Natalie gasped quickly and Chris looked at her and followed her line of sight until he reached Peyton's wrist and tucked it into his own coat pocket before quickly pricking his finger. He wiped the blood over her wrist causing the tattoo to vanish and remain like that for two hours. Peyton looked at her father, her eyes filled with tears, and he simply wiped them away as they fell and held her to him as she focused on his calm emotions and made her own calm. Once Chris felt the tension leave her he stood with her and walked quickly over to Jake.

Natalie sat frozen in place, the red 'R' branded into her mind, it reminded her of the ads for the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean movie, in which the pirates were branded with a 'P' when caught by the East India Trading Company. What Natalie didn't realise was just how on track she was. Wyatt had branded every member of the resistance with one if he captured them and if they made it out alive it was basically a death warrant. One drop of demon blood on it and it will alert Wyatt to were you are for the next two hours, however if Halliwell blood is spilt on it, you are hidden for the next two and you could be right next to Wyatt and he would never know. Wyatt may have all the power but magic is still essentially good and evil, and their are consequences even the 'twice-blessed, the source of all evil' can't predict. However what really drew Natalie in were the intertwined doves decorating the 'R' they seemed to make it a beautiful picture as opposed to a torturous statement.

Her attention was quickly drawn to the middle of room as their was a collective gasp followed by utter silence. Peyton who until now had a red beanie on and under it her hair was in a messy bun, but as she began to unravel her hair everyone's eyes - with the exception of Chris - had gone wide. Shaking her hair loose, the soft curls ran all the way to the floor and then some. What was even more amazing was the texture and colour seemed healthy. Peyton looked at her Daddy apologetically but was met with pride and love filled eyes. "It's uh, been a while since her last hair cut." Chris finished lamely.

Jake stood transfixed by the glorious hair in front of him. "I can see that. Okay so Noah, were about's did you want it to be cut to." Peyton moved her hand to just above her jeans, and waited as Jake nodded. Okay we can certainly do that. Instead of being led over to the washing area like her brother, the gum snapping receptionist was dismissed and told to place the closed sign on the door. Once she was out of the way, Peyton was swiftly lifted onto the desk and told to sit down cross-legged, Jake grabbed the strongest pair of scissors he could find and set to work after removing half the length. He grabbed Peyton and moved her to sit next to her brother who was sleeping soundly as the lady finished his hair. Immediately a second woman started on Peyton and began talking excitedly with her as Peyton's eyes began to droop at the heavenly massaging. Chris' voice woke her from an incredibly relaxing dream where she was with her Mummy, Daddy, Parker and even Auntie Prue and Natalie were there and they were enjoying a picnic. She stretched adorably and zombie walked over to the stool before plonking down on top of it and being moved up to the appropriate height. Peyton could feel herself being dragged under again as a result of an absurd amount of missed sleep, that now that they no longer ran on adrenaline actually became notable. "Jakey, can you give me a fringe please, side one like Mummy's used to be." Jake nodded as Peyton silently said a spell that would keep her head where ever Jake wanted it and she returned to the world of dreams, picnics and better times.

Chris quickly grabbed someone's napkin and a pen and easily drew what Bianca looked like in photos at Peyton's age. "Here sorry it's rushed and on a napkin, but something like this is what she is looking for." Jake was rendered speechless as he looked at the drawing that was like a Polaroid of a little girl, who would presumably grow to become Noah's mother. The life like quality that Chris managed to capture in under a minute shocked him. Luckily Natalie recognized the look, having been ambushed by a Chris Perry Original herself and knew how overwhelming the beauty of it was. So she voiced a comment to snap Jake out of it.

"I think she would like some layer's as well and if you happen to have a headband that she could use I think you could easily become her favourite person, but it has to be red." Natalie smiled as Jake actually shook himself out of his daze. Clipping the picture to the mirror Jake set to work. He had already finished Nathan's hair and watched as he dozed on his father's shoulder, who sat waiting for his little girl to be done. A good 30 minutes later Jake was done and was amazed it had taken such little time. Chris glanced at the clock and knew he had already kept the group an hour past closing and was not going to waste another minute so he promised Jake he would come in another time.

Shifting both of them so that he had one child on each hip, Chris went to pay when Jake said it was on him, given the fact that they had been perfect angels. After some weaseling Chris had managed to convince Natalie to go get dinner with Jake, but had to promised to call if she needed anything. With that done, Chris left, dropped his kids at Natalie's and left a note for when they woke, before heading to P3.

* * *

><p>Chris was immediately greeted with the overwhelming beats of the club. "What are you guys talking about?" Chris asked hesitantly as he walked past the sisters.<p>

"Stuff." Phoebe's responded and wiggled her eyebrows at Piper suggestively, which was more than enough for Chris. He was determined to not become half firefighter instead. So as he mumbled to himself he swiftly left the others.

"Hey, where are you going?" Paige wondered briefly what he did for fun or if he even knew how to have fun.

"I gotta go work on the next demon..." Chris said a bit to loudly so added an equally loud "stration." on the end, and relaxed when no one noticed. They were too immersed in drinking, listening to the music or in the case of the mid 40's guy in the corner with a unflattering beer gut being repeatedly shut down.

"Chris, why don't you relax and come have a drink with us?" Phoebe said trying to get Chris to ease up a bit, perhaps then he'd spill a bit on the future and they could talk about the ease with which he dealt with Wyatt.

"Thanks, but I didn't come here to relax." Chris said grimly as he walked away. He hoped that they wouldn't send anyone to follow him he just wanted to get home. He smiled at how easily he was able to think of Natalie's as home now, when in the future the only place he had felt safe was the manor. Closing the door behind him he sighed at the quiet he was immediately greeted with. However the dark room was causing his nerves to stand on edge, so he quickly turned on the light and stepped into a fighting stance.

"Bianca?" Chris blinked a few times to ensure that she was really there. Once he was sure he fought the urge to run over and kiss her. "I don't understand. What are you doing here?"

"Shh, there'll be time to explain later. But for now..." She was acting so much like the Bianca he knew and fell in love with that Chris didn't realise something was going on till too late. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain, his powers being taken and his energy drained. _'Daddy!', 'Dad!' _Chris heard both his kids cry out at the same time but they knew he couldn't have them see their mother do this to their father, they would feel betrayed and Chris felt enough betrayal for the three of them. She may not have access to her memories but that they did exist and so Chris knew somewhere she had to be in touch with her feelings for him, even if she didn't know why she felt that way. Just then Piper decided to walk in and witness the wonderful display.

"You know, all work and no, hey!" Bianca immediately created an energy ball to simply scare the witch, as killing her would mean no Chris and that was not an option. But instead of turning away Piper simply rose her hand and blew Bianca to witch hell. Hurrying to Chris she hesitantly asked, "Are you okay?" Chris blinked as he fought to control his emotions.

"Yeah, I think so." Chris attempted to shrug but stopped when he felt the pain it caused.

"What happened? Who is she?" Piper's question kept blaring in Chris' head as he tried to respond.

"I don't know." Chris honestly answered, he did not know that woman, that cold blooded killer. He only knew Bianca soon-to-be Halliwell, loving fiancee. That woman he did not know, that woman he did not want to know and that woman he certainly didn't want his children to know. He wanted them to remember the beautiful and caring and loving mother she had been. He knew Piper's blast wouldn't kill Bianca and she would reform in a similar manner to that of a Whitelighter, but he couldn't bring himself to turn her in, despite everything she was still his fiancee, the love of his life. His Bianca. Chris repressed a shiver as he turned to follow Piper.

Once they had reached the manor thanks to Paige who had orbed all of them without noticing Chris wasn't in charge of his own orbs, they had all charged straight for the book. Chris leaned against the wall hoping for a thoughtful look to hide the pain even the smallest movements were causing. He could hear Peyton and Parker screaming in his head as their connection was strong enough to know that their dad was in pain. Chris moved his head, straining his ears to hear the sisters conversation, even though it was in no way hushed.

"Is that the mark?" Paige asked annoyed as she flipped to another page. Regardless of the fact that she had blown the demon up, she felt this uncontrollable need to figure out who had tried to attack Chris and their reasoning behind it. She hoped that it would give her some insight into their mysterious Whitelighter.

"No, it looked more like a bird." Piper stated with utmost certainty causing both sisters to stare at her as if she had grown an extra head.

"A bird. So you're saying maybe the Audubon society sent the demon after us?" Paige snickered as Piper's face contorted to one of controlled rage.

"Just keep looking." Piper grumbled as she turned the next page.

"Guys, I'm telling you I'm fine, don't sweat it." Chris argued trying to get the to drop it before they killed his possible fiancee and the mother of his children, who he had promised they would get to see again.

"You sure she wasn't a Darklighter?" Leo stated, causing Chris to roll his eyes and Piper to huff at how dumb her husband believed her to be. Honestly unable to tell between a Darklighter and something else. Instead of blowing him up she settled for a clipped answer.

"I'm sure."

"What else would be after a Whitelighter?" Phoebe was as stunned as Leo when it came to that point, and it unnerved her as the only people who had taken out Leo in the past were Darklighters and none of them had bothered to do it in an attempt to get to her and her sisters, it had been a simple matter of enemy against enemy.

"I don't know, that's what worries me." Leo answered his thoughts lining up perfectly with Phoebe's causing both parties to stress again.

"She's gone. Piper blew her away, what's the big deal?" Chris added with an air of nonchalance, praying for their need to have a normal life outweighed this quest. Of all the times they decided to embrace their Wiccan duties it had to be today.

"The big deal is someone tried to kill you, Chris." Hearing Phoebe say that made a feeling of warmth grow inside of him, one that had been long extinguished as he accepted the fact that his mother and aunts wouldn't care less if he died.

"Look at me, not a scratch, nothing." Chris stated, forcefully moving himself from the wall and circling once before leaning back for the support.

"You know, how did she get that close to you, anyway, if you didn't even know who she was?" Leo pried as he tried to glare the boy into squealing. Instead Chris stepped into the middle of the room and met Leo's glare with one of his own. One that turned into a sneer, when the floorboard squeaked and he thought of how that would be another area and promise Leo would fail to keep up to standard.

"We really ought-a fix that, you know." Chris chastised his father and waited with baited breath for the conversation to be dropped.

"Come on, Chris, who's after you?" Leo sneered at the young Whitelighter blaming him once again for the threat that was introduced to Wyatt's life.

"Has it crossed your mind that maybe she wasn't after me? Maybe she was trying to get to them." Chris argued back knowing that it sounded like a good enough reason.

"It kind of makes sense." Paige's brain was always looking at all strategic routes.

"Finally, somebody's listening. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some work to take care of." Chris walked out knowing that if he stayed any longer someone was bound to catch on. Unfortunately for him he was right, and Phoebe having thought of his excuse herself had dismissed it immediately, as she could see the waring emotions in his eyes as he spoke and unlike the others who were busy trying to ID the attacker, she had been watching Chris critically and noticed that not only did he space out on occasion but whenever he stepped his arm tightened a little more around his waist as if he was attempting to hold himself upright. However the most glaring hint was the fact that he did not orb away instead he walked quickly from the room, careful not to jostle his upper half too much. All those were too much of a coincidence for Phoebe but she felt compelled to keep her findings to herself after all their was no reason to give Piper and Leo more wood to add to their 'I hate Chris Perry, he is evil' fires.

Once Chris made it far enough he turned into Paige's bedroom and called for Parker to come, once the boy shimmered in he started assessing the state of his father, who quickly cut him off with a glare and after grabbing onto his arm told him to shimmer to Natalie's. Peyton immediately ran to her father the minute she sensed him in the house and clasped onto his middle causing him to let out an involuntary groan. Peyton immediately jumped away while Parker used his telepathy to pull the white t-shirt up over his father's head, revealing the round irritated wound on his chest, a dead giveaway of an interrupted Phoenix power stripping session.

"Daddy, did Mummy hurt you?" Peyton looked at him, her eyes swimming with a range of colours showing her confusion, hurt, sadness and betrayal. Chris knew there was no way he could lie to her, so he decided to tell her the truth and all of it.

"It's okay baby girl, I'll be okay. Mummy is not really Mummy at the moment she has no memories of any of us, all she knows is that Uncle Wyatt sent her to kill me. We had to do it to make sure Mummy stayed alive but I promise you we'll get her back and she will know who you are again, because I have a plan." Chris watched as her tears slowed and she looked up at him picking up in his voice that this plan would involve magic and deception and lots of it at that. They were Parker and Peyton's two favourite words.

Parker set to healing his dad as much as possible without making his mother realise he had been healed and Peyton mixed their energies to give her daddy more time to get away, while Chris told them the plan.

* * *

><p>The next day Chris orbed to their spot knowing it is where Bianca would be given she wasn't able to sense him. Chris closed his fist around her ring and prayed that somehow his plan would succeed and he would make it out alive. After landing on the cool marble bench he laid his head down for a minute allowing the cold stone to soothe his raging fever. He smiled as he remembered Bianca's absolute shock that he had proposed in their place despite the fact that Wyatt had destroyed it as fore warning to the two. "Marry me."<p>

Her voice flittered into his mind and Chris couldn't help but smile at their banter. "On one condition. You come back to me, safely."

"Have I ever let you down before?" Chris couldn't help the tears that had formed as he realised how much he needed her, whenever it felt like he was going to lose his mind or tell the sisters the truth or kill Wyatt himself her voice was there to guide him but it was nothing compared to the real thing.

"You really shouldn't try to orb anymore, you know. It could kill you." Her sneering voice dragged him out of what he ironically considered better times, at least in terms of their relationship.

"Is that what you want?" Chris tried to keep the helplessness out of his voice but he knew it would crush him if she outright admitted she felt nothing. He looked at her light brown hair watching as it caught in the sunlight.

"If that's what I wanted you'd already be dead. All I want is to bring you back." Bianca had always like teasing her prey and as they had grown up Chris had always been able to provide her a suitable sparing partner. But with the energy it was taking to remain standing that in itself was too much.

"How'd you know I'd be here?" Chris hoped she remembered at least some of the events they had undertaken on this bench and if she did he knew he could still get through to her.

"Same reason you'd know I'd be waiting here. This is still our spot, isn't it?" Bianca's cold glare met Chris' eyes and he realised she was talking about her first attempt to kill him, and her first ever failure as an assassin.

"No. This is what we hoped it would be. This is what we were trying to preserve for our future." Chris said each word separately and distinctly despite the pain it was causing him, he needed her to remember. "Do you remember?" His voiced was laced with hope.

"You were naive to think you could change anything, to stop him." Bianca started pacing as she fought back a tidal wave of emotions that came as a result of being in such close proximity to Chris. Feelings she was growing tired of in theory, but in practice all she wanted to do was give in and let him ravish her.

"You don't believe that. Or at least you didn't." Chris added when he remembered that he needed to distinguish the two Bianca's like he tried to do with Piper and his mum.

"Well, I do now." Bianca's head was throbbing as if begging her to remember something important.

"What happened to you, Bianca? How did he turn you back?" Chris' words confused her even more, Chris kept talking as if she had defected at some point and joined the Resistance.

"That's not important. What is important is I was interrupted in stripping you of your powers. And if I don't finish what I started, you'll die soon. Think of it as an infection, and I'm the only one with the antidote." Her smirk was firmly in place but the usual emotions behind it were wavering and being pushed backwards by other, stronger, nicer ones.

"Here or there, I am dead anyway." The resolve in Chris' voice was enough to break something inside Bianca.

"No. He wont hurt you, he told me to make sure you knew that this was your only chance at this offer. Please, Chris, don't make this any harder than it has to be." It hurt more than it should for her to see him in pain and it caused her to plead with him as best she could, to get him to allow her to finish. She looked into his gorgeous green eyes instantly mesmerized as her heart sped up, distracting her enough that she didn't notice till it was too late that he had orbed out.

Landing unceremoniously in the middle of the lounge room, all the sisters and Leo look up at the noise, all positioned into a fighting stance. However it was Paige who recovered first and noticed their passed out Whitelighter. "Chris!"

Chris heard a voice call out to him and was sucked into a delirium induced memory and muttered the name of the person he wanted to see normal again. "Bianca."

Paige immediately orbed him onto the couch since the others all still seemed to be in shock. Leo slowly unbuttoned Chris' shirt and gaped at what he saw.

"Oh my god, what is that?" Phoebe was thrown into a protective mode as she saw the wound.

"I don't know." Leo stated, perplexed but not very concerned.

"It doesn't matter, just heal him." Piper screamed poking Leo for emphasis as she was picturing what it would be like to have Wyatt, her son, in that position and it caused her maternal instincts to go into overdrive.

The glow started to emit after a fair amount of work on Leo's part but it was still no where near as strong as it usually was. After all despite what Phoebe was saying about in this case Chris being the innocent, Leo couldn't move past the fact that he was Chris - the annoying twerp from the future who broke him and his wonderful wife up. Because there was absolutely no way Leo himself had any involvement in the actions that led to that outcome.

"Why didn't he tell us about that?" Paige wondered out loud not actually expecting an answer.

"Why doesn't he tell us about a lot of things?" Piper answered snidely as she remembered all the things Chris has kept from them. But at Leo's frown Piper immediately sobered up. "What's the problem?"

"He's not healing. Something's draining his powers and blocking mine. It's like a virus." Leo tried to give them the best description of the feeling.

"A virus named Bianca." Piper said annoyed that she hadn't killed her before.

"You think she did this?" Phoebe asked confused at Piper's reaction.

"It's gotta be." Piper was so certain Phoebe didn't question her, yet Paige had no such qualms about it.

"Yeah, but it doesn't explain why she would come back from the future just to kill him." She had tried figuring out why Bianca would have done such a thing but kept coming up empty.

"Well, somebody had to have sent her, she's a hired gun." Piper stated remembering what they had read in the book.

"Well, we have to find her to save him. Figure out what she did..." Phoebe trailed off as she was hit with the strongest emotions she had ever been hit with, and they were from Chris, even though she was on the blocking potion Chris' emotions rang loud and clear. "Whoa." Her simple word made all three in the room look at her with a mixture of expectance and concern.

"What is it?" Leo was the one who finally cracked, _'so much for that Elder patience'_ Piper thought bitterly, as she watched Phoebe move closer to Chris as if attempting to prove something.

"Oh my god, he loves her." It spilled out of her lips before Phoebe even had the chance to digest what she had sensed.

"Loves who? Bianca?" Paige looked at Phoebe and Chris as if both had lost their mind, Phoebe for believing such crap and Chris for possibly actually doing it.

"Yeah. She broke his heart." Phoebe noticed his hand was curled tightly into something and slowly unravelling it, fighting Chris all the way she finally found the "Engagement ring."

"Obviously an acrimonious split." Paige said trying to ease the building tension with a joke, given that no one had even considered the possibilities of what Chris had given up in the future to come here, and to see evidence that he actually had a life caused a great deal of... well no one really knew what they were feeling, but there was a great deal of it.

"Well, at least we have something to scry for her now. You guys work on the vanquishing potion in case she's not in the mood to help." Piper stated getting right into work mode to avoid her feelings and thoughts, for a minute she wondered if maybe that was why Chris acted the way he did, but immediately dispelled it from her mind.

"Bianca. Bianca." Chris groaned as he shifted in pain, but that quickly turned to a moan as his memories shifted to the last time Bianca and him had been alone together, and what they had done right under Wyatt's nose. Chris squirmed as his mind fought to gain control of his body and beat Bianca's poison. Meanwhile Bianca had cast a spell to lower the Charmed Ones inhibitions and as Leo fought to get them back Bianca shimmered in and kicked Leo in the head. For some reason she got a strange sense of justice out of it and Chris smiled serenely as if he knew what she had done. Walking over to him she grabbed his shoulder.

"Come on, we're going home." Bianca quickly shimmered out and to her mother's place.

Chris moved as he started to regain consciousness but Bianca simply pushed him down by the shoulders, knowing she was definitely not going to face Wyatt with a dead Chris simply because he had resisted the power stripping. "Just let me finish what I started. You'll feel better soon, I promise. That's it. Easy does it." Finally she pulled her hand out of his chest and for some unknown reason felt the need to console him. "Slow breaths."

"What'd you do to me?" Chris asked even though he was pretty sure he already knew.

"I just saved your life." Bianca said in protest, annoyed at how easily he was getting into her head.

"By taking away my powers?" Chris said incredulously as Bianca began to draw the triquetra. "How are you gonna bring me back, anyway? That spell's a one-way door. It only goes backwards in time." Chris was genuinely curious as to how the miracle child worked that one out.

"He created a new spell because of you. One that works both ways." Bianca stated simply, continuing in her drawing.

"I'm touched." The sarcasm leaked off his sentence causing Bianca to smile in spite of herself. Shaking her head she turned back to him.

"You should be. He's gone to a lot of trouble to get you back." Bianca paused and took in his long brown hair and fought the urge to run her hands through it or caress his cheek or even yell at him for how hagged he still looks despite the extra hours available for sleeping in the past, and these actions, these _needs_ scared her.

"Yeah, I see that."

"You know, you don't have to believe me, Chris, but this really is for the best." Bianca said trying to reassure him.

"Oh, really? How's that?" Chris snapped annoyed at this Bianca and missed the one who he would be unable to keep his hands off.

"Because this is your only chance to live. If I fail, he'll just keep sending more assassins back and all they'll have to bring home is a body." Bianca told him the reasonable statement knowing that in his place she would take the deal without a second thought.

"Doesn't matter. There's nothing left in the future anymore, anyway." Turning back to him confused, she watched as he placed an engagement ring on the table, which for reasons she was not aware of caused a stab of pain to run through her heart.

"You really expect me to jump into this thing like before?" Bianca was confused about the 'before' part but simply chose to ignore it and answer anyway.

"Not without a fight, no." Bianca shrugged as she remembered some of the tiff's she and Chris had gotten into over the years, personally she had a feeling it had something to do with the sexual tension between them that had been the reason behind her failures.

"How can you be so cold?" Chris' harsh tone made her remember her confrontation with her mother. Bianca did not love the rush she got from killing someone but she was addicted to it.

"I don't have a choice." Bianca answered after a few moments of thought.

"Bianca, please don't do this." Chris pleaded on last time.

"Ready?" Bianca asked, and Chris immediately sent the message to his kids to come now. Chris looked over expecting them when Piper, Phoebe and Paige orbed in instead.

"Hey, future girl." Piper said, grateful to be able to take out some of her anxiety on a completely evil stranger. Piper threw the potion and was amazed when Bianca threw her athame at it shattering the potion in mid air, only to shimmer back in, grabbing her athame, which Piper had happily frozen inches before her own face, and place it at Piper's neck.

"You were saying?" Bianca's breath moved unevenly as she realised she had threatened a Charmed One and there was no going back now.

"Wow, she is good." Phoebe's comment made both Chris and Bianca smirk, before scowling at one another. Paige decided to take a step as Bianca appeared to be distracted, stuck in an intense staring competition with Chris.

"Uh-uh. I can kill her in half the time it takes you to even think about it." Bianca stated without moving her eyes from Chris'.

"Yeah, we still have enough potion to vanquish you." Paige said hoping that she would be fast enough.

"Maybe. But then you really will have to hope the power of two will do. Won't you, Paige?" Bianca finally looked at Paige and watched as her face changed to suspicion, but there was a hint of fear as she wondered how Bianca could have known what she said. As if reading her mind Bianca simply looked at her before responding. "You'd be surprised what's in the history books. Now put the viles down slowly." She finished condescendingly.

"Bianca, don't. Let her go and I promise I'll go with you." Chis reasoned trying to calm everyone down.

"Chris, what are you doing?" Paige snapped as she looked at him disbelievingly.

"If you kill her, there won't be a future for either one of us to go back to and you know it." Chris glanced meaningfully at Bianca to make sure she understood that Wyatt would not risk changing his past, as that could risk the amount of power he had.

"What are you talking about?" Phoebe could feel Bianca's fear and frustration, and it unnerved her.

"You'll see if you live long enough." Bianca answered as they turned back to the wall and moved forward as Paige yelled at Piper to freeze them. Causing all of the sisters to grow worried.

"Uh, okay, I get why she didn't freeze but why didn't he freeze?" Piper's voice wavered as she looked at the young man who had already kept so much from them.

"I don't- Unless he's a..." Phoebe trailed off not believing that that could be right.

"I'm a witch too. That's right. Part witch, part Whitelighter." Chris said as Paige just opened and closed her mouth unsure as to how to continue. "Just like you, Paige." Chris added to ease her struggle.

She eventually settled with a simple statement that summed up everything going through her mind. "You lied to us?"

"I had to. It was the only way I could get you to trust me." Chris said even though he could knew straight away it was the wrong thing to say.

"Trust you?" Phoebe said and while it came across as accusing she simply wanted to understand his reasoning behind it.

"Never mind, it doesn't matter anyway." Chris sighed as he ran his hand through his hair and relaxed a bit as Bianca took his hand and pulled it to her side. She hadn't even thought about it, it had been like a reflex. Phoebe could tell from her feelings that something was seriously wrong with Bianca as her emotions said she loved Chris but it appeared that her mind was fighting her instinct.

"So that's it? You're just gonna leave?" Chris was stunned to see that it was Piper who had said anything, he figured with how she treated him, she would be pushing him through the portal.

"I don't have a choice. She stripped my powers." Chris paused for a minute and everyone looked around at the familiar sound of orbing only to see three people orb in, two little kids a boy and a girl with porcelain coloured skin, cyan eyes and golden blonde hair. Before anyone managed to say anything the boy lifted his hands and everyone froze. With another wave Peyton and Chris began to move again.

"Daddy!" Peyton yelled as she made to run to her dad before Parker held her back. "We can't let them notice we moved." He told her strongly, and she simple rested against her brother and pouted. As long as Bianca was frozen in place with Chris knew where he had to return to so he quickly made his way over to them. Chris held them tightly and wiped their eyes as the tears fell. "Please Daddy don't leave us." Chris tried to hold back his tears but realised it hadn't worked as he felt Peyton's soft hands wipe away a few stray tears. Parker waved his hand again and Natalie was welcomed to the land of the moving. Noticing what was happening she moved forward and picked up Peyton and pulled Parker back so that his head was resting against her stomach, and his hand was clasping his sisters.

Chris took the piece of paper from Natalie's outstretched hand. And read it out loud.

"_Powers of witches rise,_

_come to me across the skies,_

_return my magic, give me back,_

_all those taken from the attack."_

Chris smiled as his familiar blue orbs wrapped around him as he gained his powers back.

Smiling at them, he turned back to his fiancee and motioned to Parker with one wave he unfroze her head. Bianca immediately looked weary. But quickly started yelling at Chris. Chris placed his hands on either side of her face forcing her to look him in the eye. He quickly pressed his lips softly to hers and was surprised when she kissed him back, but he realised the same thing had happened back when they were sixteen and she was supposed to kill him.

Bianca was so lost in the kiss she didn't realise when his fingertips pressed into her temples and he slowly returned her memories. Once Bianca had all of her memories she collapsed into Chris' embrace and tears spilled relentlessly from her eyes. "I'm so sorry Chris." He tilted her head up and kissed her softly letting her know it was okay. Slowly her breaths calmed and Bianca started to stand up, before she was fully up Peyton flung herself into her mothers arms.

"Mummy! I knew you didn't mean to hurt Daddy and now you don't have to take him back to Uncle Wyatt. Right?" Peyton glanced at her mother hoping for reassurance. Slowly Bianca's head shook as she tried to get her daughter to understand. Peyton pried herself from her mothers embrace and slowly walked back to her brother who picked her up and stroked her back reassuringly.

"Baby Girl we have to stick to the plan, I'll be back for you soon. Okay?" Chris said trying to calm her but his heart was breaking as he watched as Parker tried to stay strong for his little sister, regardless of how much he could tell it was hurting him, shown by the few salty tears that escaped. Peyton raised her head to look at Chris before she turned to her mother. Glancing back once at Parker for confidence she slowly nodded her head. "It's okay mummy, I understand. Will you come back to us afterwards?" Bianca nodded her head, her hair moving in front of her eyes before she responded, "I'll try Pey. I'll really try." Parker and Peyton ran into their mother's arms knowing it was a possibility they would never see her again. "You take care of your Daddy for me wont you?" When they nodded she continued, "and each other, okay." As they went to hug their dad again, Bianca turned to Natalie.

"Hey, I... um... I want to thank you for taking such good care of all of them, and please if either Chris and I, or God forbid both of us, don't return would you take care of them. I can tell they trust you and that is something that's incredibly rare in our time." Natalie nodded as her eyes filled with unshed tears, she hugged Bianca once before opening her arms for Peyton and Parker. They both clung on for dear life and looked away from their parents.

Chris kissed Bianca passionately once again before standing back in the same position they had been in. "Chris! Chris, he has Melinda. He never killed her he trapped her, but he never said where. We still have a chance of getting your sister back."

"Okay Parker I need you to work on a spell and put it in the squeaky floorboard in the attic at the manor. Just switch it out when the sisters aren't looking." Giving Bianca one last hug they all moved to their original positions, with the exception of Peyton who was still in her brother's arms. They just hoped no one noticed where they were before.

"Looks like Leo's gonna have to fix that floorboard without me. Let's go." Chris said cutting off the Charmed Ones in their attempts to find out who the newest guests are.

Bianca waved her hand and the portal opened in a brilliant blue almost identical of to the eyes of the new strangers, however it was Phoebe who noticed the tears that had gathered in those mysterious eyes and the dried tear tracks that she was positive hadn't been on Chris' face a moment ago.


	5. ChrisCrossed Part 2

The portal closed and Piper immediately began ranting, Phoebe was trying to get reads off the newcomers but couldn't get anything in the way it had been until today with Chris. Phoebe was sucked out of her musings when Paige grabbed her on the arm and orbed them to the manor. Phoebe looked around and noticed that the other three had tagged along as well and were currently sitting quietly on the couch while the boy sat with a piece of paper and pencil in his lap furious scribbling and erasing, while the girl appeared to be helping him without talking or making any other gestures with the exception of her eyes or the occasional nod or shake of her head.

"Paige! Why did you just orb us out of there without warning." Piper shouted as she tried to regain her 'land legs'.

"I don't know Piper, all I know is I heard this voice in my head telling me I had to do it and it was as if I had no control over my body." Parker glanced at his sister accusingly before sighing and turning back to the notebook. At least this way the sisters were too distracted to notice them. Piper immediately called for Leo as this was getting out of hand, surprisingly he orbed in immediately.

"There's gotta be a spell in here somewhere." Phoebe said as she moved over to the book.

"To take us to the future? I don't think so." Paige had read the thing cover to cover so many times, she was positive there was nothing in there that would help them.

"Bianca's a witch, she could do it. How could she do it?" Phoebe was growing increasingly frustrated that people kept seeming to beat her in the offensive powers they held while she was stuck with levitation, a power that only went so far.

"We don't know how." Paige said trying to help Phoebe.

"How did we do it five years ago?" Piper tried to remember the spell that had shown her a glimpse of her wonderful little girl, a disastrous marriage with Leo which was apparently inevitable and Prue was still alive. How out of the three things the only ones she had gotten were bad, was beyond Piper's understanding.

"The Elders made that happen, remember?" Leo stated in a calm voice which Peyton could tell mimicked his feelings to the nail, actually he seemed glad Chris was gone. Parker noticed a slight sliver of blood red had made it's way into her eyes and grabbed her, forcing her into Natalie's lap while sending Natalie a message to calm her down. When Peyton told him why she was so angry, Parker worked to calm his own rage by focusing on the spell he had to write to find his Auntie Mel.

"Well, you're an Elder, make it happen." Piper said simply annoyed by Leo's increased pacifist beliefs since coming into that position of 'honour'.

"That was a unique situation." Leo was trying to figure out how to get the girls distracted enough that they would give up on Chris.

"This isn't?" Paige snapped as she too saw what Leo was doing.

"Hey, I don't like this either, don't you think I want to save him too?" Peyton growled quietly at Leo's lie and Phoebe tried to take Leo on face value as opposed to what his feelings were portraying.

"I don't know if I want to save him or kick his ass." She settled for saying as a result of the overload of misdirected rage she could sense from the sofa and it was only then that she realised the guests were still there.

"That still doesn't change all the good he's done." Leo stated despite what he had wanted to say, it's as if the words were being forced out of his mouth. Peyton glanced quizzically at Parker as she saw that Leo's confusion at what he was saying.

"Hmm, you're certainly singing a different tune. You've come along way, baby." Paige said as she realised that she missed having Chris around as his one track mind limited the drama in his life, well that she was privy to, making it a nice break from the sisters non-stop drama.

"Okay, despite all his secrets, I still believe that he came back to protect Wyatt and that is enough for me to want to save him." Parker forced out of Leo's mouth and watched smugly as he was starting to believe it. Peyton punched him in the arm quickly. _'Stop it before you get us caught' _she screamed at him.

"The question is, how?" Piper wondered aloud as Peyton rolled her eyes and used her telepathy to tell Leo to step in the direction of the floorboard. "_Leo_."

"What?" He asked even though Piper was lost in her own thoughts.

"_Fix the floorboard_." Phoebe finished as she realised what her sister was getting at.

"Maybe he was trying to tell us something." Paige finished and Peyton fought the urge to slap herself in the head at the stupidity her relatives were showing. Honestly it was a bit of a let down.

"Who, what?" Leo asked confused as Parker and Peyton smirked at each other as they realised this Leo was about as clued in about the happenings of his family's lives as he is in the future.

"Maybe. Maybe that's where Bianca was taking him. To the attic in the future." Piper finished pleased that she had finally figured out something Chris had told them.

"But that would still be there in the future, wouldn't it?" Phoebe said her happiness increasing at the thought of seeing her neurotic Whitelighter again, although she didn't understand why.

"Yeah, unless we fixed it." Paige said wondering how they could have possibly still have that not fixed in the future.

"Or used it to send him something, something that he needed." Piper seemed to be the only one on the right track when it came to Chris' plan.

"Like what?" Phoebe stated annoyed that Piper always understood things faster than her.

"His powers." Parker muffled a laugh at Peyton's taunting message. _'Score one for Auntie Paige and that was without our help.'_ he was amused at just how much of their Dad's sarcastic nature seemed to rub off on her. Parker waited patiently slowly sending lines of the earlier 'power retrieval' spell to them to hurry the process along. Once they were finished Parker froze them, grateful to know that as an Elder, Leo wasn't immune to it and placed his spell in Paige's hand instead, praying it was enough to save Auntie Mel.

* * *

><p>Chris and Bianca walked out of the portal and Chris immediately knew he was back, as it was at least five shades darker than it had been in 2004. Bianca made it seem as if she had been tugging on his hand to get him through the portal and dropped it immediately playing the role perfectly for the six demons that were waiting for them.<p>

"Welcome home, Chris." An erie and annoyingly familiar voice echoed through the air, before the demons parted and Wyatt's golden hair emerged from the dark background.

"Hello, Wyatt." Chris voice was mockingly polite and as intended caused Wyatt to tense.

"They're no threat to me." Wyatt said as if he were speaking to idiotic children. Chris watched amused as the demons shimmered out, leaving them all alone. Chris waited patiently for the opportune moment. "Et tu, Chris? Of all the people to betray me." Wyatt actually sounded genuinely surprised which caused Chris more confusion in and of itself. You'd think he would have expected it given that Chris had started and now led the Resistance.

"I didn't go back to betray you, Wyatt. I went back to save you." Chris stated knowing that while it was true it would send Wyatt into the start of a monologue all evil rulers seemed to be so fond of.

"Save me? From what?" Wyatt hissed at his brother and ran his pale hand through his golden hair in a very un-source-like manner, showing Chris the strain this was causing on him.

"From whatever evil it was that turned you." Chris finished in a bored voice. Cue monologue.

"That's always been your problem, Chris. Stuck in the old good versus evil morass. I'm so past that. It's all about power, it's as simple as that."

"And whoever has the most power wins, is that it?" Wyatt sneered diabolically as he realised Bianca may have come through on her end of the bargain.

"That's it. That's why I keep this museum in tact. To remind everyone the power from which I was born and that which I possess." Chris eyed the floor board amused that even Wyatt hadn't thought to fix it up.

"Too bad the rest of the city isn't fairing as well as your little shrine here." Chris pointedly looked out the window in an attempt to move Wyatt towards him.

"You know if anyone else tried what you tried, I'd kill them on the spot. But you... I've forgiven Bianca, I can forgive you too. If you promise never cross me again." Wyatt was prepared to have Chris by his side and show the world the real power Chris possessed even if he was unaware of the magnitude himself.

"I think you know me better than that." Chris finished with a smirk to rival Wyatt's. Wyatt was annoyed but he had to admit he always liked the verbal sparing that came with Chris. However the one thing he didn't tolerate was failure and Bianca had failed him too many times.

"I thought you said you could talk some sense into him." He hissed venomously at Bianca.

"Leave her out of this." Chris yelled at Wyatt knowing it would be what he viewed as the final step over that tightrope Chris was constantly walking around Wyatt. Sure enough he raised and arm causing Chris to start choking.

"Pardon me?" Wyatt said in a sickly sweet voice. As he flicked Chris across the room.

"You promised you wouldn't hurt him." Bianca shouted distracting Wyatt temporarily. _'The opportune moment' _Chris thought smugly.

"You promised you'd turn him. Like I turned you, or at least I thought I had." Wyatt created an energy ball and motioned it towards Bianca when he was suddenly trapped, paralyzed, unable to speak or move.

Chris raced over to the squeaky floorboard and pulled it up. Grabbing the spell he began to chant.

_My little sister has been taken,_

_Is in a state where she lays frozen._

_To stop this evil I'll need to consider,_

_Where on earth I'll find Melinda._

The shark tooth necklace around Wyatt's glowed for a minute and Chris knew that Melinda was trapped in there. Walking over he noticed Wyatt's foot began twitching which caused him to strengthen the field, which in turn caused him to stumble a little. Noticing what was happening Bianca ran over and plunged her fist inside Wyatt grabbing onto him holding him in place.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast. I can't hold him for long." She huffed as she felt Wyatt fighting both Chris and her hold. Chris grabbed onto the necklace and pulled it off his chest knowing right away he would not be able to free Melinda on his own.

Wyatt turned around and kicked Bianca as he had finally channeled enough magic into breaking Chris' hold. He watched in sick fascination as she landed on a broken table leg, impaling her. "No!" Chris voice held so much anger, but there was just as much grief that Wyatt felt a smidgin of guilt and cursed himself knowing Chris must be somewhat succeeding, despite the fact that he didn't believe in good and evil. Chris waved his arm and Wyatt was thrown across the room, to distracted by his thoughts to notice until it was too late. Chris rushed to Bianca's side. "Bianca. No, no, no, no." Chris murmured over and over rocking gently.

"Haven't we been here before?" Bianca joked as she remembered their speech, she smiled through the pain trying to put Chris at ease.

"Maybe we will be again." Chris said, smiling as he didn't want her last memory of him to be a sad one.

"Maybe." Bianca said weakly as her eyes began to close.

"No." Chris screamed, making her somewhat alert again. Placing her engagement ring in his hand she kissed him forcefully before pulling away.

"I love you Chris. You, Parker and Peyton are my world, keep each other safe. If you can finish what we started..." She begun but Wyatt groaned as he awoke. "Hurry. Take the spell so he can't send anyone else." Chris looked reluctant, so she gave him one last kiss and pushed him with as much force as she had left. "Go."

Chris sprinted over to the Book of Shadows, and began flipping through it searching for the spell. His way back to his kids, his last chance to save Wyatt, and his only chance to ever hope of seeing Bianca again in a better future.

Wyatt rose and glared at Chris as he began reciting the spell.

"_Hear these words, hear the rhyme, heed the hope within my mind..."_

Chris ducked as Wyatt threw an energy ball towards him.

"_Send me back to where I'll find, what I wish in place and time."_

Chris watched as the portal opened, ripping the page out and hoping that it would take him to where he needed to be, he raced through. The last thing he heard was Wyatt's scream filled with anger and the sound of an energy ball hitting the closing portal. Unfortunately Chris was thrown out of the portal and landed with a crash and inevitable bruises on the ground.

"Oh my god, are you okay?" Paige said looking at Chris concerned at the way his arm was bent.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He brushed off the comment although he was pretty sure his arm was broken. "Nice spell."

"Yeah, but we just put it in there like two seconds ago." Phoebe said annoyed that she couldn't wrap her mind around time travel.

"Yeah, well, you see, the way time travel works..." She silenced Leo with a look and a wave of her hand causing Peyton to laugh softly.

"Yeah, I don't wanna know, I already have a little headache. Thanks." Peyton laughed at how much her Aunt Phoebe hadn't changed. Piper looked at the guests as if she had only just remembered they were there and then looked back at Chris.

"You have some serious explaining to do, young man." Piper said in a voice Chris had heard so many times he knew it was impossible to get out of it.

"Well that's Natalie, Nathan and Noah." Chris said and then just realised all then N's. "Oh and the whole N thing is just a coincidence."

"Wait, Natalie as in your charge who you asked to be reassigned from Natalie?" Leo asked suspicion and disbelief lacing his words.

"Hey Leo. How are you?" Natalie asked with a slight smile. Leo just nodded and attempted to smile in return.

"Nat, how was dinner with Jake. I hope the kids didn't get in the way of anything." Chris asked knowing that he had fallen asleep on the couch last night and by the time he had awoken, Natalie's lounge room was a mess and Jake's tie was flung over the arm chair. Luckily he knew the charm put on their room protected from outside noise at night, he just hoped they hadn't walked out and seen anything."

"They were perfect angels. Slept through the whole night till about six-thirty." Natalie said nonchalantly despite the growing blush adorning her face.

"Jake and Natalie sitting in a tree-" Peyton began again but was quickly cut off by her brother's hand over her mouth.

"Thank you Nathan. Noah must you do that every time someone says the name Jake?" Natalie said in exasperation. Peyton simply nodded her head before licking Parker's palm.

"Ew. why?" Parker said looking at his sister with a mixture of disgust and confusion. Chris knowing this was going to escalate quickly, opened his arms and bent down.

"Noah!" She quickly ran into his arms giggling as he tickled her feet, but she stopped when she picked up on the pain shooting through his right arm just from holding her. She glanced around making sure no one was focusing directly on her before wrapping herself in her Daddy's jacket and slipping her arm through the sleeve, Noah focused on healing him quickly by tapping into Nathan's energy. Nathan noticed and ran his eyes around the room till he realised what was happening and sent more of his energy Peyton's way. Chris watched as Parker swayed lightly from using too much healing in such a short time span so he quickly orbed him into his arms. "Hey Nate, you okay?" Chris asked softly, Nathan nodded slowly before yawning and leaning his head on Chris' shoulder, he was out in seconds.

"Who are the kids, you've only been here six months and Natalie is too young for them to be hers." Piper said aggravated that Chris had a whole set of people in the past he hadn't told them about. Chris withered back from Piper's glare and shivered at the thought of what she would do if she found out they were his. Especially since he was a fair bit younger than her 'too young to have kids' age.

"I know. Listen, I'm sorry I lied to you. I really am, but..." Chris began as Natalie walked closer to him for support.

"No, no buts. It's about time you tell us the truth, now." Piper yelled causing Parker to stir slightly before going back to sleep. Piper flinched and took at step back at the glare Chris sent her way. She watched amazed at how the little girl, Noah she corrected, touched Chris' shoulder gently with her hand and the anger left his eyes immediately. Phoebe watched transfixed at the interactions and was amazed when Chris looked at Noah with complete and utter gratitude. But as she watched Chris juggle the kids with ease she realised this must be where he got so good at taking care of kids one handed, however that didn't explain the ease that indicated being around kids for longer than a few months. Suddenly a voice flittered through her head that didn't sound like her own, _'maybe he has little siblings or cousins in the future.'_ Phoebe thought that the voice did have a point and instantly felt guilty at how she hadn't even contemplated Chris having to leave anyone in the future, now not only was she being forced to consider Bianca, but his family as well.

Peyton smiled at her handiwork as she felt Phoebe's emotions overwhelm her previous thoughts of Chris and how long he may have known the kids in his arms.

"I can't. But not because I don't want to, but because there's only so much I can tell you without the future being changed too much." Chris defended simply expanding his 'future consequences' excuse causing Paige to huff and retaliate.

"Um, isn't that your whole point? To come and change the future?"

"Yeah. But that was supposed to be more like a surgical strike." Chris said tapering off at the end.

"To save Wyatt." Leo accused.

"To save Wyatt." Chris repeated without giving it a second thought.

"Yes but 'future consequences' doesn't apply to the kids now does it." Piper said finding a loop hole in his reasoning.

"Oh right, yeah sorry about that." Everyone was so momentarily shocked by Chris apologizing that they didn't notice the silent exchange going on between Peyton and him. They decided Peyton would repeat the story that he had just told her and Chris would occasionally add in something she may have 'forgotten'. They quickly told Natalie that plan so she could nod along or also contribute when she deemed necessary.

"Well Chris found us, my brother Noah and I, about... um" Peyton looked down at her fingers and appeared to be doing some calculations on her fingers.

"Five months ago." Chris added, as Peyton looked at him and pouted the way she assumed a four year old would when they didn't get their way. "Sorry" Chris chuckled, "continue."

"Um, oh yeah okay so five months ago, it was just after my brother's birthday and we had run until they cornered us in an alley and attacked, that's when Chris came and saved us." She finished looking up at Chris adoringly.

"Awe, sweetie who chased you and why." Phoebe cooed as she moved forward towards Noah who in return leaned back into Chris, Phoebe stopped her approach and looked upset for a moment about being rejected.

"They actually ran into the alley behind P3 and it was a bunch of demons after them as they had escaped. Their mum got them out of the house where she was being attacked." Chris finished rubbing circles in Peyton's hand knowing she already knew about Bianca.

Piper gasped and looked at the poor children. "What about their dad?"

Natalie just shook her head before answering. "He died when Noah was one in a car crash, but he was human and had no idea of the magic until P-Nate was born." No one noticed her slip up since they chalked it up to her getting emotional, like they were, about how much the kids had been through in their short lives.

Paige was trying to see if their story lined up, while Phoebe was trying to read their emotions. Peyton realising what she was doing created false readings of sadness, despair, anger, sorrow, love and adoration and threw them at various strengths towards Phoebe until she was convinced and then stopped paying attention to any of the emotions and just listened to the tragic story. "I'm assuming your mother didn't survive." Paige said softly as if afraid if she spoke to loud Noah would lose it.

Noah teared up a bit before spitting out her answer, "No that evil monster murdered her." Her harsh tone startled all present, except for Chris who knew his daughter had an attitude much like her Mother and Aunt Mel. She buried her face in Chris' neck and began sobbing. Everyone's attention was on her until Parker started fussing in his sleep.

"No, no. Please don't, don't hurt her. Stop. Stop!" His reaction was causing the sisters and Leo such distress that they were once again ignorant to the hastily looks shared between Peyton, Chris and Natalie. Peyton slowly reached out, closing her eyes and used her Daddy's power of taking away and replacing memories to remove the nightmare. Slowly Parker calmed down and had only managed to state the Wy part of Wyatt, which all the sisters had assumed to be him questioning why something had happened as opposed to a name, their son or nephew's name no less. Natalie was stroking Parker's hair affectionately, while Chris was trying to keep him calm and unable to take Peyton as well. _'Pey, do you mind going to Auntie Pheebs for a while.' _Chris asked her wearily. _'Okay Daddy. I can go.'_

"Phoebe." Chris said quietly as to not startle her or the others. Her head whipped around immediately and she looked at Chris questioningly. "Can you take Noah for me?" Phoebe nodded enthusiastically and rushed over to them. Peyton started to lean back again forgetting just how energetic her Aunt Phoebe was when it came to younger relatives, regardless of if they were babies or just a few years younger than her. But when she saw Phoebe's face fall again she moved forward a bit and held her arms out. Phoebe's spirits immediately lifted and she took Peyton before she could change her mind again. Phoebe began tickling her immediately extracting her twinkling bell-like laugh, causing the others to snap out of their thoughts and look at her warmly. Peyton always had the ability to get people to like her, Chris figured it was connected to her empathy as Phoebe was similar in that regard.

Chris shifted Parker and his arms immediately encased his father's neck and he sighed contently as if he was finally safe. Wyatt chose that moment to orb in to the room and glanced at Chris again. Seeing him he ran up and hugged him around the legs. "Hey buddy, how are you doing today?" Wyatt just beamed at him happily and Chris knew the sisters would never believe that Wyatt is the evil he came back to stop. Wyatt held up his Wuvey and Chris bent down to his level. Ruffling his hair Chris smiled at him before pushing the bear back to Wyatt. "Thanks kiddo, but I think he's alright now. Do you wanna go back downstairs now, I'm sure someone will be down in a minute." Wyatt shook his head but at the look Chris gave him, he quickly hugged him and orbed back down to his crib.

"When did that happen?" Leo asked annoyed at his son taking a liking to Chris, he was not about to admit that he was jealous given that Wyatt hadn't given him a hug in months, and the only time he was allowed to hold him was either when it was feeding time or when he was sleeping.

"Never mind that. Finish the story." Paige said hushing her brother-in-law or perhaps ex-brother-in-law. It always confused her.

"Okay where was I?" Chris asked, everyone turned to Phoebe knowing she was the one paying the most attention, but her attention was now focused on the giggling girl.

"Okay well you still haven't explained how Natalie comes in." Leo said focusing on the witch standing with her body pressed against Chris. It only seemed to confirm Leo's suspicion that Chris had slept with her. Peyton's attention was immediately redirected when she heard his thoughts, her anger grew exponentially and without Parker to calm her she 'accidentally' blew up Leo. Everyone watched as his orbs reformed and all parties turned to look accusingly at Piper, no one noticing the look Chris sent to Peyton. Peyton shrugged in her daddy's direction before smiling innocently and replaying Leo's thoughts in Chris' mind, Chris although usually much more controlled in his anger moved Leo's orbs telekinetically so that he crashed into a wall before full reforming.

"What the hell Piper!" Leo shouted and everyone looked at Piper.

"I didn't do it." She protested, she admitted she had been feeling angry but she had not in anyway moved her hands besides she didn't even understand why she was angry in the first place, it was as if it was someone else's anger.

"Well I don't know anyone else in this room who can blow things up." Leo finished accusingly. Peyton quickly smirked in her father's direction before turning on her grandmother and finishing her handiwork.

"Fine! I'm sorry okay." Piper's words were laced with sarcasm and everyone looked at her shocked again. Peyton suppressed a laugh when she heard her father's voice, _'my little devil.'_

"Anyway, that day Natalie came because she wanted someone to talk to about everything that was happening to her. She walked in to find me feeding them some pancakes and sat down slowly getting them to talk through what had happened. Since then we've been staying at Nat's place and they know that if they are ever in trouble to call me." Chris finished with a deep breath.

"Oh, um... well... thanks for that." Piper said knowing she was the one who had asked the story and caused the poor little girl to start crying.

Peyton's head was resting on Phoebe's shoulder and she took a deep breath smelling her perfume she sighed making Phoebe look down at her. "What is it?" Phoebe asked curiously. Peyton was tired from using so much magic, stuck in a perfume induced haze answered without thinking. "You smell like her." Her Daddy's voice immediately sounded in her head and she realised what she said.

"Who sweetie?" Phoebe asked as she stroked Peyton's hair.

"My... my mummy." Peyton answered after a beat which Phoebe assumed was due to the loss of her mother and the memories they had just brought up.

Natalie's phone rang suddenly and everyone turned to look at her. "Is it Jake?" Peyton asked excitedly, she really liked him. Natalie nodded quickly and turned to Chris. "I forgot I'm supposed to meet him in an hour at the mall. I'll cancel." Natalie said determinedly. Chris grabbed the phone before she could answer.

"Hey Jake." He answered and everyone watched waiting for what he would do. "Yeah it's Chris. Hey Natalie is actually ready now, but she knows your plans aren't for another hour." There was silence again before Chris smiled. Peyton squirmed in Phoebe's arms and she put her down too confused about what Chris was doing. "Okay, I'll send her now she should be there in 5." He paused for another moment. "Yeah sure, no problem, great, yeah, we'll have to catch up soon, great, see you. Bye Jake." Chris hung up and handed the phone back to a stunned Natalie. Peyton walked over to her backpack which she had conjured behind the couch and pulled out Natalie's 'Peyton approved date clothes' stopping in front of Natalie she handed her the pile and shooed her along before walking over to her Aunt Paige and looking up at her. Paige immediately understood and picked her up, surprised at how light she was.

"Hey Paige, I'm Noah. Pleased to meet you." Peyton said her face straight and her smile Hollywood worthy. Paige started laughing causing Peyton to grow confused. "It's a pleasure to meet you too." She looked back at her Daddy who was looking at her with a fond smile, Peyton kissed Paige's cheek quickly before shimmying down and running back to her Daddy as she realised Parker was about to wake up. Chris bent down again and everyone was stunned at the grace the move was performed with. The minute he reached the ground Parker yawned and looked around before his gaze rested on Leo who he glared at quickly before Peyton tapped him on the shoulder. "Nate, guess what Natalie has a date with Jake and if they get married I get to be the flower girl and you get to be the paige boy." She finished with a smile.

"Noah, did you talk to Natalie about this yet?" Parker asked already assured of his answer.

"No but it's gonna happen, just see what I got her to wear." Peyton's eyes widened as Natalie re-entered the room. Her blonde hair was softly curled and framed her face nicely, her blue eyes glittered with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Peyton's clothing choice was a black sweater-dress with full length sleeves, the neckline was loose and showed just a bit of cleavage, while it tapered in at the waist and was secured with a bow on the hip where it changed to a pleated back and grey, bell shaped skirt which ended mid-thigh. Her pearly white skin was accented by the contrasting black and it was complemented by a pair of grey ankle boots with a bow on the outer side, that made her legs look endless.

"Wow Nat, you look hot." Parker said to which everyone laughed and Natalie blushed. Parker tugged on his Dad's collar to get his attention. "That's the correct word, right?" When Chris nodded his head Parker smiled smugly.

"Nat you look beautiful. Jake is not gonna know what hit him" Chris said as he gave her a spin. "Ready to go?" As she nodded, he wished her luck and waved his hand before she disappeared in a blast of blue and white orbs.

"What? Why does she get to go on dates." Piper said pouting a bit.

"Because she's my friend and not my charge, and it's not her son that needs saving." Chris finished solemnly.

"Says you." Piper and Leo both said at the same time and which point Parker immediately wrapped his arms around Peyton, but gave them both headache's to punish them. Peyton didn't think it was nearly good enough punishment. _'If they had any idea what Daddy does in the future compared to what Uncle Wyatt does they would be singing a whole different tune.'_

'_I know Pey, but that doesn't mean we can blow them up or set them on fire whenever we want, besides we need them around if we want Dad to be born so we can be born'_ Peyton huffed at her brother's logic before getting distracted by Phoebe.

"What about Bianca?" She said to Chris, mindful of his emotions. Chris looked away and took Peyton and Parker's hands as they all stood a bit straighter fighting against the tears.

"Bianca won't be a threat to anyone anymore." Chris said in a monotonous voice.

"I'm sorry." Phoebe said honestly as she saw right at the end just before they stepped through that Bianca also had tears in her eyes and Phoebe understood that in her eyes this was the only way to protect Chris.

"Me too. So you guys still alright with me hanging around here?" Chris finished and looked to Peyton quickly who immediately tapped into Leo's mind.

"Absolutely. The next time you're in trouble you gotta tell us. Trust works both ways." Peyton also added that all Leo felt for Chris was trust and removed the suspicion, she had no doubt that it would come back but at least now she had bought them some time.

"Okay." Chris answered smiling proudly at the extent of Peyton's powers. They all orbed out and downstairs to just outside Wyatt's room. Peyton used her telekinesis to get the baby monitor and cast a silencing spell on it and Chris locked the door quickly as they stepped inside.

"Hey Wy, I need you to do me a favour." Chris held out his hand for Wyatt's and he quickly placed his tiny palm in Chris' bigger one. "Thanks buddy, okay I just need you to heal this necklace, while I say a quick spell." The yellow light immediately went onto the necklace as Chris began to chant.

_Power of the twice blessed,_

_Now used for my request._

_What once was trapped, now release,_

_In my arms, now lay Mel please._

Chris watched as the necklace cracked open and Melinda's body appeared in the air above Chris. As he laid his arms out to cradle her, her body landed in them and she gasped in a breath. Immediately Mel felt her brother's strong arms hugging her to him and she broke down sobbing into his chest. "Sh, Mel. I'm so sorry." Chris said as he rubbed her back gently. "Thanks buddy" he said to Wyatt and orbed out just as the silencing spell wore.

They reappeared in their room at Natalie's house, both Parker and Peyton immediately fled hoping Natalie had stocked up on Camomile tea. "I'm so sorry Mel, I don't know how to make it up to you. I thought you were gone. I left you all alone for two years, it's all my fault." Chris said as a few tears escaped his own eyes. Mel turned around and stroked his face getting him to look at her.

"Chris, this was Wyatt's fault not yours, you saved me just like you promised you always would. It was only because of that promise that I made it this whole time, and now I'm safe from him in the past. That necklace kept me trapped but I was able to see everything that Wyatt did, that's why when you came back I knew you would find me. I love you Chris, you have always been my saviour and I know there are thousands of people out there safe because of the resistance and that was all you. I missed you big bro." She said as she wrapped her arms tightly around her brother's chest. Her 21 year old self thrilled to see her brother again, but slightly shocked at how much he has changed. However it was in that moment that she remembered everything that had happened during her rescue.

"Chris, I'm so sorry about Bianca." Chris finally collapsed, all the barriers he held up for Peyton and Parker completely dropped when his little sister was around. She was there for him, the way they had always been there for each other. She slowly stroked his hair as his tears soaked her jeans. After about ten minutes he had let it all out and they were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in." She said softly. Two little kids walked in with a tray. On which lay 4 cups of tea and the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie which Peyton had conjured from the producers office. "Hi, um, who are you?" For a moment both the kids looked hurt before they looked at each other and Peyton realised she still had them in a glamour. Lowering it, they watched as a gleeful look took over their Aunt's face. Chris orbed the tray to the side table and watched as Mel ran and scooped up both kids in a huge hug, peppering them with kisses.

"Auntie...Mel...please...stop" Peyton said between laughs. Mel finally let the go and place them still standing on the bed.

"Look how big you two have gotten. Parker you must be six now and that makes you four Pey." When they nodded thrilled that they not only had their Auntie back but that she remembered them, as well as how old they are, when most Aunties who aren't trapped inside a necklace struggle with that. "Well then it appears I have two years worth of birthday presents to make up for. How about this I get you one big present each." They nodded excitedly and waited patiently. Mel waved her arms and in front of her were two little kittens.

"Jinx!" Peyton screamed excitedly. Her golden flecked kitten matched the colour of the swirls in her eyes. "Twitch!" Parker laughed as he was attacked by the small bundle of fur. His grey kitten worked as a physical manifestation of his soul, allowing the small animal to have the same powers. However Peyton and Parker did not have the strength yet to summon their animals and when their Auntie Mel 'died' they had disappeared back into a part of their soul. "Thanks Auntie Mel," they both said as they attacked her with hugs, "You're the best. We missed you so much." Parker finished speaking for both of them. Chris patted the bed between Mel and him, watching as they crawled up. Chris orbed everyone their cup of tea and they sat down to watch the movie aware that they were all in need of a good laugh.

By the end, Peyton and Parker had returned to their usual sleeping positions on Chris and Mel laughed as she looked at her brother, she could feel the love he held for those kids. Glancing down she saw Peyton managed to have Wuvey in one hand and Jinx in the other sleeping happily with her bottom in the air and her face pressed into Chris' chest. However when she noticed the brand Wyatt had given her niece her blood boiled and she subconsciously reached for her own brand. Chris took her hand in his and gently moved his finger over it and she felt a slight pressure before he clasped her hand in his.

Melinda looked down at her 'R' brand and saw that Chris had altered it so that it had vines wrapped around the letter with flowers sprouting at the bottom and a small butterfly was resting on the loop of the 'R'. Melinda felt tears of gratitude fill her eyes and squeezed her brother's hand tightly before looking into a face almost identical to her own. Melinda and Chris had always looked as similar as twins and their bond often made people think they were lying when they informed them otherwise. Glancing at Chris' wrist she realised he had two little devil horns adorning his 'R' accompanied by the names Parker and Peyton below that and Mel smiled. She knew her brother would do anything for those two little devils and this was just symbolic of that. Curious as to Parker's wrist she saw that his had a second 'R' slightly behind it which was covered in flames, while an athame with the triquetra engraved into the handle joined the two letters. Melinda thought about it for a moment before realising this was Parker's way of never forgetting where he came from and that not only was their good in the world but the purest of people are capable of doing the evilest of things. The second 'R' was his way of remembering Aunt Prue since he inherited her ability to astral project, the fire was his ability to manipulate a destructive element for good and the athame was to remember his mother, who he got his shimmering and conjuring from, lastly the triquetra was symbolic of the good nature of the Charmed Ones, without whom he would not have morals, love, freezing, premonition and even healing and orbing, since it was Piper who they allowed to reproduce with a Whitelighter. It was then that Melinda realised just how much Parker was like Chris, and that thought in itself made her swell with pride.

"Pst... Mel." Chris joked as he poked her in the ribs. "Mel, I already left a note for Natalie - my new BFFL, who by the way I think you'll get along with great," Melinda laughed at her brother's attempt to mimic the teenage girls who were always following Chris around like a God back at the resistance. "whose house this is, that your here now. But if at all in the night you get up and find her with a guy - warm caramel brown eyes, blonde hair, nice smile, built and most likely tie-less, wink at her and send her thoughts of good luck before moving out of her way. Whatever you do don't mess it up, Peyton has already planned the wedding." Chris joined in her laughter but as he quickly remembered that he would never end up married to Bianca, a single tear escaped but Melinda caught it and smiled at him before taking his hand again.

"Chris, we'll get through this together. Thanks again for saving me. I love you." She smiled softly and her eyes fluttered closed but not before she heard his reply. "Love you to Mel, I'll always find and protect you. I Promise."


	6. Witchstock Part 1

Melinda glanced around the kitchen and cringed at the thought of what Chris was going to say. It had all started out with good intentions but everything had turned wrong and fast. The island counter was now encased with ice but in the midst of burning, the stove was crackling as Peyton tried to work around the ice to turn off the element. Parker was trapped between two ice glacier's with his shirt and pants frozen in place while he attempts to shiver out without destroying his clothes and the remains of the kitchen. Meanwhile Mel was simply trying to figure out the best way of not getting into trouble. All three froze when they heard the telltale sign of Chris' shuffling feet heading their way. Suddenly Mel wished she had a barrier of ice between her and her brother leaving Parker in her place.

"Auntie Mel, he is going to kill us." Peyton whispered as she glanced fearfully at their various positions. Her eye's immediately gaining a grey undertone. Melinda was grateful that they had thought to put Peyton's hair in a bun as she was not sure what would be happening if they allowed her hair to swing an inch to the right, she personally believes half would be incinerated while the other half frozen in place in which case she would probably be more fearful of Peyton than Chris, God knows she inherited his temper.

"It'll be okay hun, you just need to look at him with your big eyes and sorry smile and get us all out of this mess." Mel was willing to play their best card at the moment and that was definitely Peyton for two reasons. Mainly Chris would do anything for his two kids and secondly Parker is still trapped so unable to add the extra boost. "How you doing there Parks?"

"Well I'm not gonna lie, it could be better." Parker sighed as he once again tugged at his shirt, but as he glanced down at his free hands and feet he relented a bit. "But then again it could be worse."

They all heard the footsteps stop and glanced warily towards the door. Well Parker tried but was still unable to see through the ice. "Hey Mel what's going on." Chris' voice was calm and that scared Mel more than anything else, it was the calm before the storm a trait he had definitely inherited from their mother. She knew that the best and safest thing to do would be to fess up straight away.

"Well it's actually kind of a funny story..." Mel glanced around the kitchen again her emerald eyes turning back to her brother's, "or not. We just figured you had done so much and were exhausted so we thought we'd take care of breakfast and even try the normal human non-magical way, but that didn't really work. So the tea towel that was accidentally left on the stove-"

"I didn't mean to do it Daddy, I swear I didn't mean to forget." Peyton's hysterical plea's cut her off. At Chris' stiff nod Mel continued.

"Well it caught on fire, and then Parker was sure he could put it out with his powers, but evidentially he can start and enlarge flames not extinguish."

"Sorry Dad!" Parker screamed from his icy prison.

"Anyway then my cryokinesis kicked in and I froze the flame's but by that point it had already jumped to the island so I got that. Somehow Parker ended up stuck in two of the glaciers and well I'm not really sure how some of the other things happened but I do know that because we can't turn off the element I have to focus on freezing the fire that keeps melting my ice." Melinda inhaled sharply as she had blurted it all out as fast as possible. "Oh and Parker seems to be out of juice and unable to thaw himself out of the ice.

"Firstly, since you were going non-magical human style none of you thought of grabbing the fire extinguisher from the cabinet beside the stove." Chris' statement was met with a round of "oh's" and "sorry's" Chris quickly moved his hand and the power to the stove was cut and he moved the knob back to it's original position. "Secondly it's an electric stove all you needed was to cut the power. Now Peyton come here please." Peyton orbed straight to her Daddy grateful to be free from the pressure of stopping the power. Once she appeared in his arms, Chris checked her over for injuries and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead as he placed her on the ground. "Thanks for breakfast Pey, but please be more careful next time and I'm always up for a magically conjured breakfast. Now I need you to get me a towel and some extra clothes for your brother. Peyton rushed off to their room closing the door with a bang followed by her high pitched "Sorry!" knowing unintentionally slamming the door when she was already in trouble was not the right move.

"Chris I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to let everything get out of control I guess being out of reality for two years makes you a little rusty and I guess I should have known better anyway since you were the only one culinarily gifted out of us and Wy. I just missed being able to have a good home cooked meal." Chris gave his sister a once over for harm as well before pulling her into a warm hug.

"It's okay Mel, it was sweet. Besides you were always better than Wyatt, you were able to make toast." Chris teased her half-heartedly earning himself a sarcastic laugh from Mel and a small smile before she went to wait in the lounge room to hear her punishment. Though only two years older than her Chris had acted like a father to her since Mum died and Leo vanished before getting himself and all the other Elder's killed, and because of this she expected to be punished when she messed up, cared for if hurt and praised if she succeeded in something and ever since the two trouble maker's came along Chris' parenting abilities went through the roof allowing Mel to graduate to the sister and auntie roll. However at times like this she knew she was in as much trouble as the other two.

"Here Daddy." Peyton handed her father the towel and the clothes and walked solemnly to sit next to her aunt, awaiting her own punishment. Chris picked up the fluffy purple towel and turned in the direction of his eldest. "Parker you still okay in there?"

"Yeah Dad, just a little chilly." Parker answered before he felt his body being gathered in the light feeling that accompanies being orbed. Moments later the clothe's fell limply against the ice. Parker appeared in the towel Chris was holding and was immediately wrapped in it and held tightly to his father's chest. Chris immediately redirected the fire from the burning island into the ice surrounding it both of which countered the other leaving a plume of steam and a puddle of warm water. Chris held Parker until the shivering subsided and placed him on the ground examining him more thoroughly than the other two, since he had been in the thick of it and his power's were drained as a result of the ice counteracting them. Checking his side which had been pressed into the ice, Chris sighed relieved when he could sense nothing was wrong. Handing Parker his clothes he ruffled his hair once before turning to the door.

"Hurry up and get dressed. You have one minute to get your butt on the couch." Chris smirked as Parker turned an ashen white at hearing his dad's tone. Chris stepped into the lounge room and almost laughed as Peyton and Mel both leaned back into the couch, swallowing audibly. "Mel. Where's Natalie anyway?" Chris had noticed early on that she had not been mentioned and he had not uncovered her in the kitchen, for which he was incredibly thankful, but now he was simply curious.

"Oh right. Jake showed up this morning and convinced Natalie to take a week long vacation with him. She was reluctant at first but I managed to convince her, well with a little help from Pey and Parks who just simply suggested thoughts and slightly increased her feelings that were already present and she was beaming as she ran through the door." Mel smiled at the end of her story. Chris couldn't help himself as he too smiled at both Natalie's actions and Mel's unending streak as the hopeless romantic in the family. She had surprisingly been a supporter of Bianca and Chris' before they were even together. He assumed she had gotten a premonition involving her niece and nephew but she had sworn up, down and around that it was simply the most romantic tale she had heard in a while and to not let anything stop them, even Wyatt. Chris was lost in his thoughts till Parker ambled in wearing a brown full length shirt and jeans looking every bit a carbon copy of his Dad.

"Well guy's I appreciate the thought but let's not do that again, I guess today I have no choice but to take you to the manor and hope Piper let's you stay for the day." Mel already began separating her mother and Piper into two categories in her mind as it appeared the only way Chris was managing this. Peyton and Parker both brightened at the chance to spend the day with their dad and barely contained their squeals of delight. Even Mel visibly brightened as she had missed her big brother and also wanted to see him more even if that meant returning to the manor and seeing the woman who was destined to become her mother. She raised an eyebrow at Chris as Peyton and Parker were immediately glamoured and rushed away to get ready as Chris called out that they had ten minutes. Chris simply projected the cover story into Mel's mind and watched as she nodded in agreement at the unasked question. "I'll just tell them you're their babysitter until Natalie returns. Do you want to be Jade? I figure it'll be less of a risk than using Melinda and it is a lot easier to remember to react if they call you by your middle name instead of something completely different."

"Yeah, sure. Do you need me to project an image into their minds as well?" Melinda asked thinking of how much of a strain it must already be on Peyton with her and Parker cloaked for the majority of the day, it would simply be too much to add herself on top. When Chris agreed they got up to fetch the kids when Parker ran in clutching a vial before turning to Mel.

"You have to take this since Great-Aunt Phoebe already gained her empath powers." Parker explained breathlessly. Melinda simply tipped the vial and shook her head as the potion slithered down her throat. Peyton appeared minutes later and they all grabbed onto Chris' hand.

Piper awoke to a heavenly aroma floating through to her nostrils. As her brain worked faster to snap her out of the daze of sleep, she was immediately wary and ran to Wyatt's new nursery. After all it was no secret that the only one who could cook in the family was her. Piper's steps stilted as she noticed Wyatt was not in his crib, normally she wouldn't worry too much and assume that Paige, Phoebe or even Leo had him but given her sisters had moved out, Leo had moved up there and none of them could cook Piper all but bolted to the kitchen with her hands raised. The sight that greeted her was enough to make her step back in disbelief.

Chris was moving around the kitchen at complete ease, there was an arrangement of pancakes, waffles, omelette's, toast and freshly cut fruit and from the sizzling pan she assumed bacon was there as well. She watched as Chris moved towards the high chair which held her baby boy and gave him an assortment of fruit and a small pancake which he happily dug into. Noticing the absence of Wyatt's forcefield Piper moved further back and simply observed how Chris took care of all of them. There was even a new addition, a girl. She had dark brown hair cut in a pixie style, her skin was a chocolate brown that rivaled Phoebe's when she has a good tan but it was her eyes that amazed Piper. Although her overall appearance seemed incredible normal but at the same time completely wrong when she saw the girls eyes she expected to see a glittering green. Instead she was met with strikingly unique silver eyes that spoke volumes of wisdom and horror seen beyond her years but as she glanced at the ones in her company she held nothing but love and kindness.

Chris finally turned off the stove and poured the steaming bacon onto a plate placing it on the table where Noah, Nathan, Wyatt and the mystery girl were seated. "Cwis!" Wyatt's cheerful proclamation drew the attention of the all those present. "Guys eat." Chris set the three others a stern look and they immediately started shoveling food onto their plates and arguing over who got the first glass of juice. Various plates were being shuffled around but in such sync that Piper was amazed at the familiarity they all seemed to have. "Hey Wy what's up?" Chris asked as he ruffled Wyatt's blonde locks affectionately.

Piper listened as they all complemented Chris on the food by moans of pleasure, she felt her jealousy rise while her pride made her believe that they were just placating the young man as opposed to actually enjoying his cooking. Everyone knows the only person who can cook in the Halliwell manor is Piper. Her attention was redirected as Wyatt answered the question Piper had forgotten Chris asked.

"Dwuice." Wyatt looked pointedly at the sippy cup filled with apple juice that remained on the counter and no matter how many times he blinked, it refused to orb to him.

"Sorry little man, it's a magic free breakfast today. A little normalcy is good once in a while." Chris lectured Wyatt who stopped and looked at Chris in a mix of understanding and remorse. Meanwhile Chris had gotten up and grabbed the cup but held out until Wyatt managed a "pwease" and then handed the cup over with a smile.

Piper was speechless as she watched Chris do in ten seconds what she had failed to do in the few months not only had Wyatt used his manner's but he had listened when told to not use magic. _Where was Chris when a dragon was flying around _Piper thought angrily as she remembered everything that had happened with the cleaners. Her thoughts seemed to answer themselves as a voice drifted through her mind giving her in vivid detail Chris' dying moments. Piper chastised herself for such thoughts and if she was being honest she was scared how her mind had come up with the answer so quickly and how dark of an answer it had been so doing what all Halliwell's do best she chalked it up to lack of sleep and an overactive imagination.

Peyton glanced warily at her brother her waffle paused halfway to her mouth when she got a blast of resentment, sadness and anger. Tuning into his thoughts she cringed as she listened to him recall their dad's death. She could feel the colour draining her face and her own anger was fueled when she realised that not only had Piper been spying but she had been judging her daddy for a problem that she had caused and struggled to stop, only stopping it with her daddy's help. Chris noticed his kids' paused meals and pale pallor and immediately left Wyatt's side moving to sit beside them and pull them towards him as he let whatever they were dealing with play out. It was then that Chris noticed Jinx and Twitch hissing in the direction of the hallway obviously reacting to his kids' emotions. It went without saying that one of the only things that Peyton and Parker did not argue about was the fierce protection of their father, it had been the reason many a demon did not take another breath, it was the reason many members of the resistance feared the young children and it was the main reason Wyatt had been unable to kill them. So with the animals reacting the way they were it left no doubt in Melinda's mind that they were responding to some outside thought about Chris. Her thoughts were further proven when she heard Peyton's voice in her head muttering the name of the one person she had been hoping to avoid for as long as possible, '_Piper.'_

At the same time Wyatt squealed happily and turned his attention to the door. "Mummy." What happened next was strange even for Piper Halliwell. It seemed that as one, the group noticed her presence. She watched as Chris stiffened along with the girl and they turned towards the doorway. Wyatt looked happy and the two kids seemed to snap back to reality.

"Morning Piper, I'm sorry if I woke you I figured you might want a few extra hours of sleep. I promise I'll restock everything I've used there was just a small problem with the kitchen at Natalie's this morning." Chris placed the kids back in their chair and looked sheepishly at her. Piper confused by his words glanced at the clock only to realise it was eleven and that she had in fact gotten an extra few hours of sleep. "I was wondering if it's okay with you can Nathan, Noah and Jade stay the day here and I'll take them back home in the afternoon, I just have to take care on Natalie's house before we can return." Mel looked at her brother confused about the tone that he had in regard to their mother, she understood that they didn't know who he was but she was unsure about the undertone of fear present as he asked a favour of her. Peyton feeling her confusion ran through the encounter in the attic when Chris had returned without Bianca and the suspicion and accusations that had followed, matched with the incident with Valhalla and Leo's following them around and Mel was barely able to contain her own disgust and rage. Chris and Mel had pretty much stayed off the topic of the sisters over the last few weeks and she simply accompanied him on vanquishes, helped Natalie out with her romance problems and took the kids out for some fun, soaking up the sunshine before they either died or went back to a future without it. So to see what Chris had been dealing with in the previous months made her fingers itch to blow up the nearest one responsible. The fact that it was her mother barely crossed her mind but she knew how much pain Chris would be in if anything happened to their mother. Again.

"Yeah... uh... I guess that would be okay, but is this Jade and how do you know her." Both Mel and Chris could hear the real question 'why should I trust her around Wyatt.' It hurt Melinda to have her mother talk about her as such a threat but then she realised that as much as it hurt her, Chris had it worse as they had questioned every move he made, called him a traitor, hurt him emotionally and physically all of which they did to his face and he just stood their and took it. Suddenly Mel was overcome with even more pride than she had already had for her brother and had to stop herself from spitting an answer to her mother.

"She babysits Nathan and Noah with Natalie when she needs an extra had but at the moment Natalie is gone for the week so it's just her. She's been with us for a while now and she is excellent with the kids, so none of them should be a problem. Besides we've got a demon that requires at least one of your sisters to vanquish." At Piper's harsh look he continued. "I know, I know. No demon talk before noon, so if you want her's a plate there is more than enough." Chris grabbed a stool from the counter and moved to sit between his kids and across from Mel, leaving the chair next to Wyatt free for Piper.

As Piper sat down it grew eerily silent and the easy atmosphere that had been present earlier was smothered in tension. Mel glanced at Chris to see how he was dealing as he passed Piper a plate before turning back to his kids. Reaching past Noah he grabbed the tongs and began moving things onto her plate as Parker placed a hand over her eyes. Mel laughed as Peyton huffed since everyone was singing 'the wheels on the bus' in their heads to prevent her from seeing what her daddy was doing. "Okay Nate you can let her go." Peyton shot her brother a glare before turning her attention to her plate and her face broke into a contagious smile as her laughter dispelled the tension in the room.

"Thanks" Piper heard her scream as she wrapped her arms around Chris' neck. "I love you Daddy." Peyton whispered into her father's ear so that only he could hear. Chris gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before examining his masterpiece. Using a variety of fruits he had made a seesaw out of watermelon and banana, a slide out of apple, a merry-go-round out of strawberry and Peyton out of a pancake with bacon hair, maple syrup smile, chocolate chip eyes and cherry cheeks. Piper tried to surreptitiously see what was on the plate but only caught a glimpse of it before she ended up with maple syrup in her hair courtesy of Wyatt who was jealous of the attention Chris was giving the others. Piper stood up to get a towel as the syrup continued down the side of her face but was quickly handed one by Jade who then grabbed a damp cloth and passed it to her. Wyatt giggled at the scene but immediately stopped when Chris told him off. Instead Wyatt simply returned to eating his fruit in silence.

Parker glanced down at his plate once his Auntie Mel had sorted out the mess and smiled happily when he saw his dad had created a scene of him surfing using a toast shaped surfboard, a waffle faced, kiwi eyed, lemon mouthed mini him stared back as his pear shaped hand dipped into the strawberry jam wave. However his favourite part was the bacon and egg sun which was shining bright in the sky. Melinda smiled as she retrieved the camera that one of the sisters had left on the counter before taking a quick photo of each of the plates allowing the kids to dig in.

Piper still had yet to touch her food and started on the omelette's that seemed to attract the older crowd. Chris kept his eyes trained on his plate not wanting to see his mother's reaction one way or another and waited tensely for the next hour to pass.

Twenty minutes later both kids were done and sitting at the table waiting. Peyton drummed her fingers impatiently as they argued over who was going to ask to be excused. Eventually it was decided that Parker would ask to be excused and Peyton would ask for colouring in.

"Uh... Chris?" Parker asked unsure if they were supposed to call him by his first name. "Can we be excused?" Chris turned his head towards his son and was about to give him the okay but clean up speech when he realised they already knew how to behave so he replied with a simple nod. Piper watched amazed as the kids got up and took their plates to the sink, washed them to perfection, dried and put away before heading to the bathroom.

"Piper. Piper are you done?" Chris asked her as he gestured to her plate. When she nodded in response he swept it away and repeated the same process as the kids with her plate, his own and Jade's. Once he had finished he rinsed his own hands before turning to Wyatt and quickly wiping him down. He gathered the platters, still filled with food, from the table and placed them in container's and in the fridge before turning towards the door. Almost immediately the Nathan and Noah barreled in looking fresh-faced and clean. Holding their hands out Piper watched as Chris sniffed for soap and they quickly exhaled to show that they had used toothpaste and smiled at the hair ruffle of approval they received.

"Can we colour in now?" Peyton's excited tone made the words squish together to form one really long one.

"Okay let's head to the conservatory and you can tell me what you want." Chris scooped Wyatt up, obviously forgetting Piper was present, grabbed each of their hands and they walked out of the room. Piper looked around her perfect kitchen stumped and twitchy about having nothing to do.

"I have some colouring books they might like?" Piper suggested as she rounded the corner and checked on Wyatt who had been safely placed on the rug at Chris' feet and was currently building a tower of bricks with Chris' help.

"I don't think that will be necessary." Melinda voiced as Piper shot her a look of irritation. "What you think of colouring in and what they think of it as are two very different things." They both watched as Chris produced a notepad and began sketching exactly what Peyton was describing in insurmountable detail. Next was Parker's turn and he quickly described a skateboard with exquisite patterns. Piper was sure there was no way Chris would ever be able to draw anything remotely close to what they had wanted and suppressed a gasp at Peyton's dress which was perfect down to the detailing across the bonnet. Producing two pens one was given to each of them as they lay down on the ground and began designing.

"I get that that was amazing, but how is this not what I think of as colouring in." Piper asked the girl annoyed that she had gotten her hopes up for nothing.

"Give it a few minutes." Came the terse reply and Piper shriveled back noticing she had overstepped her mark. She watched as Jade sat down next to Chris and they both leaned back into the couch before turning on the TV. Piper was speechless for the nth time today as she looked at the four non-Halliwell's in her conservatory only seconds later as they belted out the lyrics to a Spongebob Squarepants song.

"F is for friends who do stuff together.

U is for you and me.

N is for anywhere at anytime at all.

DOWN HERE IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA"

They were so immersed in the show that none of them realised as Piper slowly grabbed the video camera and recorded the moment to show her sisters. It was one of the only times she had seen Chris act normal and not neurotic and unfortunately it showed her just how young he was. Piper tuned back into the conversation as both Nathan and Noah nodded before turning to Chris "Done!"

Piper was smart enough to realise what came next might involve magic and turned the camera off. Piper looked at the paper confused as she had not seen them switch or use more than the one pen and when she looked at the paper all she saw was a slight shimmer on the surface. However instead of questioning or accusing she simply sat back and watched.

Melinda bent down to eye level and looked at both drawings before smiling appreciatively. Turning first to Parker she looked him in the eye as she forced him to pay attention. "You know not to ride this in the house but if you talk to Chris we may be able to go to the park to test it out." He nodded profusely and turned his puppy dog eyes to his father who relented within seconds. "And Noah will you need a model to test this?"

"Actually... well... you see, you're Natalie's size and it would be easier if I could see it moving." Melinda hesitantly nodded before standing, placing her hands over the pictures and concentrating. Piper watched transfixed as a skateboard appeared in front of Nathan and Noah's dress appeared on Jade.

Chris whistled as he looked at his sister, "that's one good looking dress Noah." He praised as he circled the dress.

"Yeah but you drew it." She argued back as both Parker and Melinda shook their heads at their stubbornness in accepting a complement.

"But it was your design." Peyton finally relented and just smiled before turning back to the dress and tilting her head in a critiquing manner.

"I need your help please." Peyton held her hand out for her Chris and he moved towards her, she handed him the paper and began explaining where he needed to change it. The spaghetti straps immediately disappeared in front of Piper's eyes, the bust and waist piece was taken in and became corset like. Peyton walked around it a few more times before returning to her position and pointing out some more changes. The length grew another foot and bellowed out into a ball gown type causing the designs to shift. Peyton took the paper from her father and grabbed the pen adding in a few extra details here and there but mainly focusing on the bust.

Piper gaped as the bust became encrusted with tiny diamonds and the intricate designs flowed down the length of the dress. Finally happy with her work Peyton turned to her Aunt and told her she could step down. Before Mel was able to take off the dress she was handed another piece of paper by Parker and agreed to conjure the item without Peyton knowing. Mel turned to the lounge room and walked away before returning almost immediately in her jeans, boots and sweater top with a garment bag carrying the dress held carefully in her hand. Once she sat down Piper finally shook herself out of her shock.

"What the hell was that?"

"Oh right, well I have projection and Chris is exceptionally skilled at drawing so by combining the two we are able to design and create our own stuff, but we only use it on occasion." Piper began to nod her head but then shook it violently.

"But she's three." Piper pointed out disbelief covering her words.

"Four!" Peyton yelled insulted.

"And exceptionally bright and talented for her age." Chris and Melinda argued back as Piper finally conceded. After all who was she to judge what someone could or couldn't do. She had obviously judged Chris wrong when it came to culinary and apparently artistic ability.

The clock striking twelve broke everyone out of their thoughts as Parker turned to his dad. "Can we go to the park now?" He pleaded, when Chris and then Melinda nodded they were engulfed in hugs. Parker turned back to his sister and tapped her on the shoulder with his other hand still behind his back. When Peyton turned around he placed the object in her hands and Peyton looked down to see a skateboard exactly the same as his with the exception to the design on the base which he had done to look exactly like her Resistance tattoo. Peyton threw her arms around her brother and laughed as they both went crashing to the ground. "I promised to teach you how to ride it didn't I. Here's your chance." Peyton squealed again and kissed her brother on the cheek.

"I can take Wyatt with me if you are going with Chris to vanquish the demon." Melinda offered as she motioned for Chris to orb the dress up to Wyatt's room where it would be safe. Piper shook her head and politely declined.

"It's okay I promised my ex, Leo, that he could see Wyatt every now and then and it's easier if I don't have to be there too." Melinda nodded and grabbed Peyton and Parker's arms before speed walking out of their knowing she would lose her temper if she saw Leo. Once the door slammed Piper began calling for Leo and Chris waited impatiently for him to arrive. Finally happy when they managed to leave with only a few words to Leo.

:: :: :: :: ::

Hours later and one hell of a screwed up vanquish later Chris managed to have all three sisters in the manor. They were in the kitchen as Phoebe and Piper changed clothes removing the goo from the monster. Talking about nothing important and sticking to simple topics such as family and boyfriends.

"Well, that's good because your family misses you too. I mean, I don't have a lot of people to hang out with aside from my baby who doesn't really say much and then one really neurotic Whitelighter." Piper shook her head still shaken up from the earlier encounter.

"Yeah, how is my little buddy, Chris. Last time I saw him he wasn't in such good shape." Phoebe said concerned with how he was reacting to the loss of Bianca and annoyed with herself that she felt such personal disappointment that she hadn't tried to help him more and instead she had left to flee to Hong Kong.

"He's trying his best to hide it, but he's still really shaken up." It was true every now and then she would see a flash in his eyes or he would breathe in sharply as if remembering something.

"Well, he lost his fiancé, you know, I don't blame him, it's huge." Phoebe defended him annoyed that it seemed Piper was willing to play his pain off as a light thing.

"Yeah, and there's something in the future that's really freaking him out." Paige answered as she thought of how he had returned from the future - even more neurotic than he was before.

"Yeah, he's more determined than ever to protect Wyatt from evil which means there's a new demon hunt everyday." Piper was grateful to have someone to complain to, she was sure even Prue hadn't been this determined and she didn't think that was surpassable.

"I feel like such a bad sister, leaving you guys alone to handle all this." Phoebe said as she gave her sisters a hug.

"No, no, we're fine. Wyatt and I actually enjoy having the manor to ourselves." Piper tried to reassure her sisters, however unsuccessful it may be.

"Really?" Paige asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah, I - I mean, we have room to spread out and life is very quiet and calm and best of all, everything stays clean." Piper was rewarded by a small laugh from both her sisters as she picked up the clothes and headed to the laundry unaware of the goo that had crawled off the pile.

"Well, if we're gonna hang out, I better go change my clothes. I think I left some here." Phoebe said as she got a sense of peace that came with being at home even with all the various demon attacks.

"I'll go with you." Paige called after her, piling up a plate of leftover breakfast from the food, she headed up the stairs. Once they were on the landing Phoebe began speaking - well sprouting Ancient Chinese proverbs again.

"Well, being born under the year of the ox is a good thing, it means you're a natural born leader." Phoebe stopped in her tracks as she discovered her old room was replaced with a home gym. "What happened to my room?"

"Holy. I guess when Piper said she was gonna spread out, she wasn't kidding." Paige joked attempting to lighten the mood.

"But where's all my stuff? I mean, I have stuff, you know, lots and lots of stuff." Phoebe was stunned as she looked around the room that used to feel like a piece of paradise.

"Well, being an ox, I can take charge of this. You can borrow something from my room until we straighten this out." Paige said as they turned to her room, unknowingly meeting a similar fate.

Chris stared at Wyatt trying to figure out the next demon to go after, as Leo worked to convince him not to startle Wyatt too much, regardless of the fact that the bottle of milk was slipping from his mouth and his eyes were beginning to droop closed - but you know he could be startled.

"Oh, hi, baby." Phoebe cooed over her nephew as Paige glanced around.

"This one too?" She asked shocked.

"Yeah, you move, you lose it in this family." Phoebe answered sarcastically.

"You could lose a lot more than a bedroom when this is over." Chris' voice was missing the usual sarcastic bite causing all of the others to wince unintentionally.

"Hi, Chris, I'm fine thank you, and you?" Phoebe retorted figuring someone had to break the ice.

"It's his job to offer his opinion." Leo defended for some unknown reason.

"You know the only reason why she's even here is Paige missed a vanquish." Chris gestured to Paige exasperated by his charges.

"Another one?" Leo was shocked at just how much they seemed to disregard their duty and began to feel for the Whitelighter. He figured after the whole Darklighter and the Gith demon they would take it more seriously.

"Yeah, that makes, what? Five in a row now?" Chris was back to his sarcastic nature making the other's feel better.

"You guys are such nags." Paige retorted annoyed at their logic in pointing out her ability to let down the team.

"When did you two become so chummy?" Phoebe asked unaware of how her question would affect Chris. No one noticed the piece of green goo that crawled out of the vent in the floor and onto Chris's shoe waiting for the perfect opportunity as it could feel the magic radiating off him in waves.

"We're not chummy, it's just he's gone through a lot protecting Wyatt and I figured instead of doubting him I should help him a little." Leo snapped annoyed at the idea that he would get along with Chris for any other reason other than mutually beneficial relationship. A symbiotic one. Piper walked in tearing Leo out of his day dreams as he took in the woman _**of**_ his dreams.

"So what do you guys think? Do you like Wyatt's new room?" Piper said knowing her sisters would snap back reassuring her that they still needed her.

"I like it. I just like my room too." Paige argued as she took a bite of her food.

"And I like it, I just like my room too." Phoebe agreed with Paige.

"Well, you guys were the ones that moved out, not me." Piper defended her decision and tried to hide her hurt.

"So where are my clothes?" Phoebe asked but she was distracted by Paige's exclamation.

"My God Piper you have officially outdone yourself this time." Phoebe took a bite and moaned in response as Piper tried to reign in her jealousy especially when Leo too took a bite and agreed whole heartedly. Meanwhile Chris had begun backing towards the door and was moments from freedom before Piper answered.

"I didn't make it. Chris did." Everyone was shocked to silence. Paige so much so, that Piper had to freeze the plate before it shattered on the floor when she dropped it.

"Chris?" Phoebe question as she looked to the boy who had gone red with embarrassment and was still trying to escape with his dignity in tact.

"Fine! Okay. I made it but it could of been so much better had it not been for that damn fire." He muttered as he hoped no one heard.

"What fire?" Paige asked concerned.

"You could have done much better?" Piper was struggling not to throttle the kid.

"What's that?" It was Phoebe's question that drew everyone's attention as she turned towards the garment bag,

"No!" Chris cried as he orbed the bag to him. "I'll show you but no touching with your sticky fingers. Phoebe pouted but agreed her curiosity taking over. Slowly he revealed the precious dress and everyone gasped including Piper who regardless of already seeing it was overcome by it's beauty.

"Who's is it?" Phoebe asked tentatively. "Was it Bia-"

"No." Chris answered harshly. "Sorry. No it's Natalie's or at least it will be when she gets married."

"Wait... why would you have a dress if you don't even know if their going to last let alone get married?" Paige asked ever the pragmatist.

"Well they got bored." Chris finished simply.

"They?" Phoebe pressed.

"Noah. It was Noah who did it. Well Noah and Chris." Piper blurted as they others turned to gape at her.

"Piper honey are you okay? It couldn't have been Noah she's four." Paige reasoned with her sister.

"No, it was her I watched her do it." Piper insisted.

The others just stared gobsmacked at the dress trying to process that a four year old had created a dress most designers would kill to have claim on.

"Anyway Phoebe I'm pretty sure Piper packed your clothes into the attic." Chris stated as he attempted to distract them from the dress. Phoebe turned to glare at Piper before she huffed and stomped up to the attic with Paige on her heels.

"Cwis." Wyatt called, he had been wriggling in Leo's arms since he heard Chris' voice and was determined to get free. Chris looked to Leo who reluctantly handed his son over to the Whitelighter. Wyatt snuggled into Chris' chest before sighing contently and falling asleep. Leo looked at the scene and couldn't help the jealousy and heartbreak that swelled inside him at the idea of Wyatt no longer needing him since Chris was in the picture. Instead of prolonging the moment as he could see what it was doing to Leo, Chris placed Wyatt in his crib and turned to pick up the forgotten plate of food off the side table.

"You know Chris that really was amazing." Leo praised as he gestured to the plate of food. "Who taught you to cook?"

Chris laughed humorlessly before answering, "my mum. Well before she died after that I taught myself." Leo nodded not knowing how to respond and they both left Wyatt's room as silently as possible, both thinking about Piper.


	7. Witchstock Part 2

Piper laughed as she pull out knee-high cherry red go-go boots that could only have belonged to Phoebe. "Oh, wow, Phoebe. These are some boots." Paige glanced over at the boots and whistled.

"No, they're not mine, but I wish they were 'cause they're hot." Phoebe started drooling over the boots and tried to take them from her.

"The box says 'Penny'. Penny as in Grams Penny?" Paige blurted in disbelief that their strict and bossy Grams had these boots.

"No way. I refuse to believe that Grams ever wore anything this hot." Phoebe's teenage snark came out when she thought back on the comments she had received from Grams as a teenager in regards to the boots she was and wasn't allowed to wear out of the house.

"Yeah, I figured her more for steel toed orthopaedics, you know, the better to kick your ass with." Piper laughed at the image they conjured up.

"They're your size, Paige, try them on." Phoebe encouraged, knowing that she wanted at least someone in the family to still have them.

"I don't know." Paige groaned as she looked at the boots and assessed how well they would go with her outfit.

"Oh, come on, just do it." Phoebe refused to let her out of this - it was the whole living life vicariously through you concept.

"They're kind of sixties." Paige was still trying to get out of it as she had a bad feeling and she had learnt to trust those bad feelings. However since she had already taken off her shoes she knew there was no way Phoebe was going to relent.

"So what's wrong with the sixties?" _Case in point._ Paige thought sarcastically and laughed at how much of Chris' sarcasm reminded her of her own.

"The sixties was like the worst fashion era. Hello!" Paige began as she pulled on the boots. "Bad clothing, bad hair, and extremely questionable personal hygiene. Hey, they fit!" She exclaimed happily as she finally had a Halliwell heirloom that was solely her's regardless of the fact they were cherry red and she would never where them again. However the minute she said that she felt her body being lifted away.

Phoebe and Piper stared at the spot where Paige had been once the smoke cleared. "Right. Where'd she go?" Phoebe eloquently asked. Piper simply shrugged and looked at the spot again before calling for Leo.

Leo appeared a moment later a slight frown on his face as he mulled over Chris' earlier words. "Leo we...er...we kind of lost Paige." Phoebe stuttered out, she braced herself for the yelling since after being around Chris it easy to forget Leo's pacifist ways. Leo looked at them for a moment before opening his mouth to answer.

"What do you mean you lost Paige?" The words were shouted with the usual annoyance Phoebe had come to link with Chris not Leo but then she realised the words had come from Chris' mouth as at some point in the discussion Chris had joined them.

"Well, it was really weird. I mean, one second she was here and the next second... poof." Phoebe trailed off as she backed away from the look Chris was giving them. Piper finally having the ability to challenge Chris in a way she had been deprived of all day met his glare with one of her own and was amused when he slowly unclenched his jaw.

"It kind of happened after she put on a pair of Grams' boots." Piper finished since Phoebe appeared to still be too shaken up.

"Grams used to cast a spell on her clothes when she was younger." Leo stated casually not understanding the ramifications of what he had just admitted. Chris who knew the story and just how old Leo was and what happened with him and Auntie Paige on the trip - his Auntie used to enjoy a healthy amount of Leo bashing whenever he let Chris down and that involved a lot of embarrassing stories.

"Wait, you knew Grams when she was young?" Phoebe asked for clarification.

"Yeah, we crossed paths once or twice when I was a young Whitelighter." Leo reacted knowing he was worse off if he even thought about lying to the sisters.

"Eww." Was all Piper could manage at the thought of her husband being older than her currently deceased grandmother.

"Well, I barely remember it." Leo fought back trying to stop any more damage from happening in regards to his already unstable relationship with his (ex-)wife.

"Huh." Piper was begging her brain to start working but it was like it was on a loop replaying the same line over and over again.

"Eww." Phoebe stated as she thought about how old Leo must be and shuddered at the thoughts she had had about an 'old man' when they first met.

"Uh-huh." Piper added quietly as she nodded in agreement.

"Well, if the boots did belong to your grandmother, then we better summon her from the dead. Maybe she can tell us what happened to Paige." Chris said looking forward to seeing Grams as they had always gotten along in the future despite her belief's about men, but also wary of the fact she was more suspicious and intuitive than her granddaughters and he didn't want his identity revealed.

"Okay, let's get the candles." Phoebe began as she started walking towards Piper knowing she had to get her out of there.

"But you..." Piper began as she pointed at Leo before Phoebe forcefully dragged her from the attic. Leo began to defend himself to Chris who just laughed before turning away and waited for Piper and Phoebe to return.

Moments later they returned at Piper looked a little better than she had when they left, sitting down and flipping through the book Piper began to reflect. Chris knew he could summon Grams without a spell or tell Piper what Paige the spell was on to speed up the process but he was sure that would bring up a whole bunch of unanswerable questions, which in turn would lead to distrust and he would be back to square one - not that he had advanced very far anyway.

"You know, if I hadn't taken over Paige's room, this never would've happened. This is all my fault." Piper began as she sighed again, annoyed at herself for feeling the need to pretend that she was fine with her sisters moving out, if she had told them the truth maybe none of this would have happened.

"What's done is done." Leo and Chris both answered instantaneously. Leo looked a little spooked, Piper was questioning just how much time those two spent together, Phoebe was trying to control a laugh while Chris was utterly disgusted as if there was one goal he had in life it was to not become or be anything like his father.

"Okay, you two really need to get a room." Phoebe joked, since she could tell by looking at Chris' face that his thoughts had turned somewhere dark and she needed him 'here' if they were going to get Paige back, because even though they didn't like to admit it he was more driven and focused than any of them. Meaning he had more power and greater control and what really annoyed Piper was that even with all the demon hunting it was obvious he managed to care for those children as well and therefore succeeding in the one aspect of her life she fought hardest to control.

"Yeah." Piper laughed along at their expressions.

"Here these words, here my cry,

spirit from the other side, come to me,

I summon thee, cross now the great divide." Phoebe chanted as she waited for Grams to appear.

Chris looked down in time to notice the green goo from 'the demon with no name' on his foot multiply and continue as it began to drain his power. He breathed a sigh of relief when Grams appeared knowing she would know exactly what to do.

"Well, it's about time you called to say hello." Penny complained as she hugged her granddaughters - well two of them. "Oh, my darlings."

"Ah, we got a problem." Piper said as she was released from her hug. Penny's eyes immediately darted across the room where a boy who looked very much like Piper but with green eyes that were undoubtedly the result of Piper's relations with Leo. However unlike Leo's, Penny could tell that although this boy had seen far too much for his age - even more than the exceeded amount of an ordinary Halliwell - he still knew how to love. At first Penny though the boy _was_ the problem Piper was referring to but then noticed the way the young man was struggling in what looked a lot like snot.

"Well, you're not the only one." Penny said as it was obvious none of the others had noticed the fact that the goo was currently rising up the boy's legs.

"Orb out." Leo stated and Penny scoffed at the suggestion.

"No, magic makes it grow. Summoning her spirit already gave it power." Chris argued and Penny nodded approvingly but was stuck trying to figure out how to save the poor boy when she realised the way the other's were treating him must make him Chris.

"Oh, you must be Chris, the new Whitelighter." The goo climbed up to his shoulder's slowly feeding off the power boost of Penny's summon and Chris' own glamour. Penny knew better than to trust people on face value, look what happened with Robyn. So she knew the only way to prove his Halliwell origins was to insult him and then view his features. Moving to Leo as she had heard the new Whitelighter and he did not get along she loudly whispered, "you know, he doesn't look very qualified for the job." Sure enough Chris' eyes snapped to glare at her for a moment before realising his great grandmother would have his skin for that and immediately looked away but that time was all Penny needed to cast her verdict.

"Chris, just let me blast it." Piper argued annoyed at how much time they were wasting on Chris and the goo when they should be rescuing Paige.

"She's right. Orb." Phoebe backed her sister but Chris still shook his head. Penny knew it was her time to step in.

"Oh, for heaven sakes, listen to them. We'll find a way to vanquish the foul thing later." She demanded knowing he would know that tone and sure enough the second her mouth closed he had orbed out of the green cage.

"Now." Leo said knowing timing was detrimental to Chris returning in one piece. Chris reformed seconds later and bent over trying to control his powers and force them back. The goo had started to unlock the powers that he had spent years hiding from everyone even his parents. The only four people who knew of his true power were Grams, his Aunt Prue, Uncle Cole and Grandpa Victor. Chris watched helplessly as the goop seeped through the floor boards.

"Ah, oh." Phoebe stated having no other response for what had just occurred and she began to worry even more about Paige. Chris just shook his head tried to stand up. The others began to head downstairs but at seeing him sway, Penny placed one hand at his elbow holding him upright and back from the others.

"Christopher, You and I are going to have a little chat before this is all over." Penny promised and she watched as realisation dawned on him before he nodded once and gave her a big hug. When he released her, he looked away sheepishly. However seeing this Penny laughed lightly and saw that it reassured him, so taking charge she lead them downstairs to the lounge room, chatting lightly and laughing occasionally along the way.

The other three looked up in shock when Penny walked in smiling and they were positive they were all just hallucinating as opposed to the possibility that their neurotic pain in the butt Whitelighter had just made the hater of all men laugh. And not in a laughing at you way but laughing with him.

Sitting down Penny fixed them all with a stern look and Phoebe immediately launched into the tale, starting from the minute Chris came back but keeping it as simple as possible and only telling her what was relevant to the sisters therefore leaving out Bianca, Natalie, Noah, Nathan and Jade - not that Phoebe knew anything about Jade other than her name.

"You and Paige moved out? When?" Penny stared at her Granddaughter her voice suspiciously mellow.

"Uh, a few weeks ago. But we're handling everything." Phoebe said more to reassure herself than Grams. Piper just lay her head against the couch in silent resignation waiting for the lecture to begin.

"Dear, you have Paige stuck in the past and a demonic blob roaming the manor." Phoebe blushed when Grams pinpointed the exact reason them moving out was such a problem in the first place. "Exactly how are you handling things?"

"We're still in an adjustment period." Piper said quietly, wanting to have her freedom but not anger Grams.

"There would be no adjustment period if you were living under one roof. Why in heaven's name did you move out?" Penny's eyes widened and her voice rose as she fought to reign in her annoyance at their insistence on living normal lives.

"To be with Jason. You said it yourself, never give up on love, remember?" Phoebe realised immediately that giving a guy as the reason for your problems was one of the worst mistakes she could make in regards to her grandmother.

"I didn't say give up on your sisters. And you!" Penny rounded on Piper who subconsciously pushed herself further back into the couch. "You're the oldest, how can you let them move out?"

"You know, it really wasn't that hard because they deserve a shot at a normal life." Piper argued back. Both of them felt like little girls again and their attitude was that of stubborn teenagers angry at their guardian.

"They're not normal, Piper, and neither are you. When are you going to learn that?"

"Well, I guess never." Piper answered sarcastically annoyed at receiving the same lecture from Chris a hundred or so times.

Piper and Phoebe began giggling on the couch as Penny began her age old 'men suck' rant. "All this over men. How many times have I told you? Men are utensils. You use them, wash them, and throw them in a drawer until you need them again." Penny finished as she thought of the one exception to her rule. Speak of the devils. Leo, a man who she firmly believed Piper should use only as a utensil and Chris, the boy she would gladly have by her side all day, walked in.

"Shh. Everyone quiet." Leo commanded and was grateful when even Penny fell silent. They all listened as the manor made strange noises. Chris put his ear against the wall and wondered, not for the first time and surely not the last, what normal families do with their day.

"I can hear it. I think it's in the wall." Chris stated and jumped away as the wall cracked, the green goo searching for the powerful source it could sense from the boy.

"Yep, it's in the wall." Penny and Chris rolled their eyes at Leo's helpful statement.

"Okay, we're gonna need Paige. It took the power of three to vanquish this thing in the future." Chris stated as he looked at Piper and Phoebe.

"What? If you knew that, why didn't you tell me that in the first place?" Piper wined at him.

"Because I could barely get two of you together, let alone three. Besides, this thing's not that big right now and I thought two could handle it." Chris argued back knowing that this was the same argument they had been having for the past few weeks and it still made no difference.

"Leo, you take point. Chris here is much too green to guide my girls." Penny stated with a smile as she knew Chris would argue but at this point, the attitude Piper and Phoebe are in mixed with Chris' determination will implode and nothing will be solved.

"What? You know what? You can just stop that right..." Chris was cut off as Penny waved her hand and began speaking over him.

"Ah-ah! Quiet. It's time to give this floundering ship a rudder. Now, which boots did Paige put on?" Penny got straight to the point and looked around for someone to answer.

"Red go-go boots." Piper responded at Penny groaned.

"We've got a problem. Those boots took Paige back to the summer of love, which was one of the most crucial times of my life." Penny stated, her voice a mix of annoyance and wistfulness. Chris smirked as he remembered the stories she used to tell him as a child always making fun of herself during that period.

"What do you mean crucial?" Phoebe hesitantly asked.

"Your grandfather, Allen, rest his soul, was a sweet man, but he lead me straight down the hippy-dippy trail." Penny dismissed with a slight wave of her hand.

"You were a flower child?" Phoebe burst out laughing at the image forming in her head.

"Yeah, well, don't rub it in. What's important is that Allen was killed by my best friend. I didn't know it then, but she was evil. And I walked in right after it happened." Penny's voice tightened a bit the betrayal still felt so fresh.

"What'd you do?" Piper voiced as she was entranced by the story.

"Well, let's just say that my peacenik days ended fast, along with that bitch Robyn. If she hadn't killed Allen..." Penny trailed off.

"You'd still be a flower child." Leo's answers amazed both Chris and Penny as they wondered how he had managed to become an Elder when he struggled to follow the simplest logic.

"And the Charmed Ones would be dead. I know I'm a ball buster. But it kept me alive to protect my girls from all the demons that came after them as kids. I cast my return to owner spell on a lot of clothes that summer, so..." Phoebe's excitement became to much and she cut off Grams.

"So we get to go back there? We get to meet our grandfather?"

"Don't make too much out of it because whatever you do, you can't change the past or tell anyone you're from the future." Penny warned seriously, giving them their first lesson of 'Future Consequences'.

"Well, why does he get to?" Phoebe sulked.

"Because I know what I'm doing." Chris pointed out.

"Not from where I'm standing." Penny stated although she was incredibly proud of how far he had managed to make it without slipping, she believed that they must be close in the future, because no matter how much she loves her granddaughters they couldn't keep a secret if their lives depended on it. "I'll stay here with Leo and the newbie to contain the slime, until you can bring Paige back to vanquish it, okay? Okay, go, get dressed. You are going to the summer of love." Phoebe and Piper just looked at each other stunned before Phoebe rushed out to grab some clothes.

:: :: :: :: ::

"The way I see it, we're all targets for the slime. We need a plan to control it until the girls get back." Penny said looking back and forth between Leo, Chris and baby Wyatt.

"In the future, everyone tried to control the demon with no name. But it can't be done." Chris stated hoping that somehow Grams would be able to get him out of it even though she had failed in the future.

"That's hardly a winning attitude, young man. And why in heaven's name couldn't the people in the future find some name for that thing?" Penny stated annoyed that without name she had no where to start with a vanquishing spell.

"Speaking of the future, what's so awful that happens to Wyatt?" Leo pried hoping Chris' worried state would get him to spill.

"You know I can't tell you that."

"Come on, I'm an Elder." Leo reasoned as Penny rolled her eyes.

"Excuse me, back on point. Uh, the slime? I'm taking suggestions." She stated sarcastically.

"We could orb it to an ice drift." Was Leo's wonderful suggestion.

"Nah, that's bad." Chris said shaking his head.

"It's not bad, it's awful. You can't orb that thing, it feeds on magic." Chris smirked at Grams' attitude with regards to Leo.

"So what's your great idea?" Chris snapped as he grabbed the wedding dress off the hook as he noticed the slime heading towards it.

"Are you giving me lip?" Penny shot at her great grandson.

"No. No!" Chris answered her but screamed as Wyatt orbed his bottle to him. Leo grabbed Wyatt just in time and the goo retracted as it got shocked by the light. As they ran down the stairs the roof began falling in pieces, when suddenly it all just stopped.

"Hold on. I think it's stopped." Leo said and Chris would have hit it, had it not been for the ear splitting scream coming from the hallway. Chris recognizing the voice sprinted with Penny on his heels while Leo stayed back guarding Wyatt.

"Noah!" Chris' brain had always been good in a crisis so even when they were being attacked he managed to stick to his cover story. Penny watched as Chris shot off some orbs to distract the goo before reaching the little blonde girl and other two.

Peyton crawled closer to her dad before shrieking again as the goo came at them. Parker realising what they were fighting grabbed the two new skateboards and threw them in different directions of the house. The slime having an unprotected source of magic immediately changed direction. Penny was close enough to hear the conversation but far enough away to not get noticed. "Okay, I've got a spell and it will emit less magic than the glamour's and projection, so drop them now." Penny was stunned as the two children looked like mini-Chris' and the girl looked a couple of years younger than Chris was almost his twin. It was unnerving in a way to be surrounded by four Chris'. She noticed Chris muttering but was too far away to hear any of the spell. She noticed the air shimmer around them temporarily before settling down and the slime monster stopped attacking. Obviously Chris' plan had worked.

Chris looked to the door and sighed the goo had climbed up the door and windows, removing that method of leaving. Turning he picked up Peyton as Mel grabbed Parker and they headed to the kitchen with Grams and Leo following.

"What'd it do? Split in half?" Leo commented upon seeing the slime climbing up the kitchen door.

"How do we get out?" Chris stated annoyed that he had forgotten that Mel, Peyton and Parker were returning to the manor and not Natalie's.

"I don't know. Orb?" Leo suggested.

"The last time I orbed, that thing almost swallowed me whole." Chris deadpanned as Melinda gasped.

"What do you think, Penny?" Leo asked turning in her direction. However Penny stood in the doorway wearing tie-dyed sixties clothes.

"I think love conquers all. I think that we should take the demon into our arms and make it feel safe." Penny smiled serenely as Chris, Leo and Mel looked at each other. Peyton and Parker couldn't take it they simply rolled around on the floor laughing at the woman before them.

"Leo, could I talk to you for a second, please?" Chris managed to get out as he tried to restrain his own laughter.

"Do you mind holding him for a second?" Leo asked Penny.

"Of course." Leo handed Wyatt over and she immediately began cooing. "Come here, moonbeam."

"Wyatt. His name's Wyatt." Leo reminded her.

Penny ignored him and turned to the two other kids. "Aren't you two adorable, spitting image of your daddy, your beautiful brown hair. And your eyes!" Penny trailed off as Chris pulled Leo away concerned about the fact that unlike Leo and the sisters she would be able to see past the spell and in her hippy state she wouldn't care about outing who they are.

"One of the sisters must have changed the past because Penny clearly never meant to change from flower child to demon hunter." Melinda stated in a whisper to Chris. Leo overheard and turned to her accusingly.

"Who are you exactly?" Leo's voice was harsh but Melinda expected no different, the only one who was treated well by Leo was Wyatt and even then Melinda was still treated better than Chris. In the background Penny was singing to the kids and Peyton had decided to join in while Parker decided to use a pot as a drum to keep the beat.

"Jade. The babysitter." Melinda said sharply. Leo turned from her to Chris and addressed him next as he was still suspicious of the newcomer.

"Think the girls can fix the timeline and get back here?" Chris shook his head disbelievingly but the reassurance Leo was coming for came in the form of Jade.

"Of course they can. They are the Charmed Ones after all." Melinda turned to her brother and motioned to their attire proving that they were a) still alive so Piper must still be and b) not in the mood to dance around singing 'we shall not be moved' and therefore they must fix the timeline somewhere in between now and 23 years in the future.

"But this thing is trying to back us into a corner. Take Wyatt, Nathan, Noah and Joan Baez here into the conservatory. Jade and I'll get what we need to fight it off." Chris stated as he headed to the blender.

A few trips to the kitchen later Melinda and Chris had successfully built a electrically charged trapped that would without a doubt stop the slime - for a while.

"Why isn't it attacking? It's like it cornered us and now it's just waiting." Leo asked impatiently and Melinda rolled her eyes. _So much for Elder's and their endless patience._ She thought sarcastically and Peyton's light laugher told her she must have been listening in.

"I think we need the toaster oven." Chris said as he examined the pile. Leo grabs the toaster oven and brought it over as Grams began to lecture.

"You know, that's a disaster waiting to happen." Melinda laughed at Grams' complete 180 in terms of her attitude, but stopped the minute those knowing eyes landed upon her. Melinda took an involuntary step back and was grateful when Chris resumed speaking.

"That's the idea. You saw how the slime reacted to electricity. Well, if we can get it to attack this pile, maybe we can get to zap it." Chris stated with a smile, Melinda laughed as she recalled that he had always been a bit of a pyromaniac, it was part of her theory as to why Parker had his Pyrokinesis.

"If I can find a place to plug it in." Leo stated as he looked at the power board in disarray.

"No offence, you know, but my dear Allen would have taken the path of peaceful resistance. Have you tried talking to the slime?" All who were there snorted at her idea.

Leo laughed condescendingly. "No, I haven't, and you shouldn't either." Finishing in a patronizing tone that made Melinda's blood boil. Then he turned to speak to Chris, "but if you're up to some light conversation, maybe you wanna tell me what happens to Wyatt in the future."

"Uh, nice try." Chris countered.

"Got it." Leo plugged in the toaster oven and the power went out. "Damn it!" Leo swore as Chris groaned in frustration.

Chris heard Peyton and Parker whimper and he realised that it was very similar to what had happened when Wyatt had finally captured them. Chris grabbed both of them and noticed Melinda was also stiff as a board and went to stand by her offering some form of comfort. Peyton sensing her distress moved to her Aunt and let herself be held like rag doll a little girl clutched for dear life.

"I told you, boys, violence is not the answer to anything." Grams stated in a sing-song voice that made Chris snap.

"Where's the fuse box?" Chris asked knowing he had to keep up pretenses.

"It's in the basement. Find a flashlight in the laundry room." Leo responded watching as Chris took Nathan and they headed to the laundry.

Parker and Chris both glanced at the basement as the light ran across the perimeter. "Leo!" Chris called out as they ran out and shut the door.

"What is it? What is it?" Leo panted as he sprinted in.

"The slime, in the basement feeding on the Nexus." Nathan answered causing Leo to look at him curiously.

"How big was it?" Chris tossed him the flashlight then moving Parker so that he was seated on the counter top he watched as Leo opened the door. Almost immediately he slammed it shut. "Big."

"Yeah. Big." Chris responded sarcastically, _'if you can call slime covering the entire basement __**big**__'_

Moments later everyone was gathered in the kitchen strategizing. "If the demon comes at us, I'll try and hold it off with this." Chris said as he held up two wires.

"Don't be afraid of us. We won't hurt you." Penny began as she opened the door.

"Penny, get back!" Leo yelled. Peyton tried to grab her but was held back by Melinda and all they could do was watch as the woman they all loved and were counting on before she went hippy was sucked in by the monster. Chris ran to the basement door and held it closed.

:: :: :: :: ::

"Wyatt's secured in the lounge room. There's no sign of the demon in the rest of the house." Leo reported back after leaving Wyatt with Nathan and Noah, while Jade and Chris fought to keep the slime in the basement.

"I figured it was distracting us before so he could feed on Nexus." Chris told Leo although Mel knew it was simply him thinking to himself.

"What about Penny? Is she...?" Leo couldn't bring himself to say it let alone imagine having to tell Piper.

"I don't know." Chris answered honestly.

The slime creeped out from under the door, Mel jumped grabbing the two wires and zapping it. It retreated before an even bigger chunk came through. "I can't keep up with it, we've gotta get out." She yelled at the others.

"No, we have to keep fighting. It's what Penny would want us to do." Leo protested before he saw reason. "Get out of here, go."

"Not without you." Mel hoped Chris was only saying this because they needed Leo around for them to be conceived and not because he blamed himself or forgave Leo for his cruelty both in 2004 and in the future along with his future absence. Unfortunately it **was **Chris so she knew it was most likely all of the above.

"This thing's gonna swallow you whole." Leo pressed forward.

"Most likely." Chris and Melinda both said.

Piper, Phoebe and Paige appeared in the kitchen and Mel jumped out of their way.

"Stand back, fellas." Piper said smirking.

"Drawing on the power of three, destroy this evil entity." Paige chanted and Mel looked amazed that it was supposed to work but sure enough the slime vanished with a scream as Leo and Chris were thrown backwards. Mel ran to help Chris up while the sisters began questioning Leo.

"Where's Wyatt?" Piper stated worried she couldn't see him anywhere.

"He's in the lounge room." Chris answered automatically as a response to his Piper's tone of voice so similar to that of his mother's.

"What about Grams?" Phoebe asked fearfully.

"She didn't make it." Leo said just as the basement door flung open and out walked the woman in question coughing up a lung.

"Nonsense. You can't damage an old war horse like me. I'm already dead." She joked causing Chris and Mel to beam at their Grams.

"Yay, Grams, I'm so glad you're back." Phoebe rushed to give her a hug and both Mel and Chris smirked when they heard Paige teasing Leo about being 'sun god.'

"Hey, I wanna thank you two for not giving up the fight. I'm really proud of you boys. You did good." Penny said as she grabbed onto their arms. "And you, Jade, is it?" Penny grabbed onto both her shoulder's and looked her in the eyes. "You did spectacularly, especially since you were surrounded by these two idiots." Melinda laughed as she hugged her Grams.

"Love you Grams." She whispered in her ear and received a laugh in return.

"I know dear." Penny turned sharply to glare at her youngest two granddaughters. "Paige, Phoebe you know how I feel about you not living in the manor..." Chris tuned out as Grams went on and smiled reassuringly at his little sister.

Penny eventually finished and sent Paige, Phoebe and Leo on their way to go and accompany Wyatt and Piper. She smiled down at Peyton and Parker, who had made their way to the kitchen mid-rant.

Bending down to eye level Penny looked them both in the eye before speaking. "Now I'm gonna take a guess and say you're name's aren't really Nathan and Noah." Peyton crossed her arms before staring back at her great-great-grandmother.

"They are to." She huffed. Parker quickly chose to elaborate knowing that Peyton was only acting that way because she was tired. "Sorry Grams she's just a bit tired. But she is right they are our names, just our middle names."

"Okay. Well then full names and ages please." Penny said knowing that they would appreciate being spoken to like adult's given the extensive social skills they have despite the future they came from.

"Peyton Noah Halliwell aged four and Parker Nathan Halliwell aged six. Children of Christopher Perry Halliwell aged 23. Niece and Nephew of Melinda Prudence Jade Halliwell aged 21." When Parker finished he beamed

"While I am glad to see that your mother has seen a bit of reason and named both you and your sister with middle names beginning with P. I am glad to know you went back to the original names." Then she walked up to Chris and hit him over the back of the head. Chris opened his mouth to protest but Penny beat him to it. "That's for having children at seventeen but these two are little angels..." She began but was cut off by a skull-splitting headache.

"That's for hitting Daddy." Peyton stated while looking at Grams innocently.

"Your lucky that's all they did." Melinda said standing next to Grams giving her another hug.

"Peyton. Enough." Chris said as he leveled his daughter with a stare.

"Sorry Grams." Peyton apologized meaning the apology but still not sorry that she had defended her dad.

"Parker, that took more than just Peyton, unless Peyton used full power." Chris chastised his son and almost laughed as he looked down ashamed.

"Sorry Grams, but you shouldn't have hurt Dad or called us little angels for that matter." He said smiling proudly.

Penny surprising everyone just laughed and took the two little devil's into a big hug. Standing up she gave Melinda a hug before turning to Chris. "I know you have the power to summon me without a spell or the sisters and I would like to talk to the two of you and of course see more of Peyton and Parker so you will summon me once a week and we'll have dinner. Wednesday night. Friday night dinners are so cliche." With that Grams disappeared in a flurry of yellow lights, leaving all the traveller's from the future with a big smile on their face and looking forward to Wednesday.


	8. Prince Charmed Part 1

Chris ducked out of the way as a demon launched another fireball at him. Unfortunately he was stuck in the underworld as his orbing had been temporarily disabled as a result of one of Phoebe's spell's gone wrong. Chris fought back and had just vanquished the demon when another three appeared. Sighing he used his telekinesis to move two of them in the way of the fireballs leaving him in a one on one match. As more demon's attacked Chris began to feel as if this was simply acting as a diversion. Sensing out again, Chris willed Parker or Paige to do something disastrous which would involve him being called. Once he didn't answer he knew they would come searching for him. The stench of the cave was added to by the burning flesh and all he could do was wait.

:: :: :: :: ::

Melinda watched with baited breath as Parker and Peyton napped on the couch. She knew it was only a matter of time before they recharged and were even more energetic than before. Chris was the only person she knew who was completely able to keep them entertained. Using this time for good, Melinda headed to the bathroom her footfalls quiet as the soft carpet meshed between her toes. As the water rushed out of the faucet, she realised the simple act of bathing had been one thing she had missed the most, the ability to remain clean. Sure there were people who could conjure water but there was barely enough for drinking water without alerting Wyatt, so since returning to the past whenever the kids crashed she hurried to the bath for a relaxing soak.

Dropping the warm cotton robe she edged her foot into the bubble and incense filled tub, humming as the hot water ran along her skin. The bubbles clung to her form like a blanket and Melinda felt her eyes closing slowly, each blink growing in length.

_ARGH!_ Melinda jumped at the pain filled scream before reacting to the chilled water of the bathtub. Shouts were coming from the lounge room and Melinda hastily changed before racing down the hall towards the hazard zone. Glancing around Melinda quickly noticed nothing had broken, the kids were fully intact and then a sense dread filled her. "Chris!" Her pleading cries joined Parker and Peyton's. Grabbing their hands she orbed to the underworld. They landed in a dank cave on the upper levels and Parker immediately began sensing for his dad. His hand running through his chocolate hair in an attempt to focus. Peyton's arm grew increasingly hot and the pain radiated through her body. Mel searched for the link she was accustomed to sensing when Chris was nearby, as the signal got stronger she orbed them in that direction. Finally Parker got a clear but faint read and shimmered them to his father's location. Chris was still valiantly fighting, however his efforts were only one handed as the other one was bleeding profusely. Suddenly a demon shimmered in behind him ready to strike with an athame.

"No!" Peyton's scream was matched by the demon's own as the athame flew out of his hands and plunged into his chest. Parker created a circle of fire around them as the demon's fought to get through without vanquishing themselves. Fighting for a few more minutes they attempted to re-group to leave. Peyton realised the athame was flying at her a second before orbing... or trying to gasping in pain she shuddered as the cool metal punctured her skin. Fighting the overwhelming blackness she stumbled to her Daddy, her body was soaked in blood and as she tugged on his shirt she asked "Daddy, when's Mummy coming home?"

Chris looked at Peyton confused as to why she was asking this question. Time seemed to stop as he took in the handle sticking out of her chest, her clothes already red in colour as the life flowed out of her. Clutching her to him, Chris gathered Mel and Parker telling him to drop the fire as he begun to shake in fury. Parker and Mel immediately dropped to the ground, their bodies protesting against the cold, hard floor. Staying perfectly still they watched as a white light shone from Chris' body and destroyed any remaining demons. They both knew Chris very rarely used that power as it wasn't so much a conscious decision as opposed to an emotional response. Fight or Flight if you will.

Once his sight returned Parker rushed over and placed his hands over his baby sister willing the glow to appear. Her short gasps for air were too few and he could feel the energy slowly seeping out of her. Grabbing all of them in his grime covered hands Parker quickly shimmered home.

Parker's hands immediately resumed their place above her body and he began the slow process fighting for his sisters life. Mel fought to emit the warm glow as she looked at her pale faced niece. Her blue lips trembling with each labored breath.

Chris was shaking as he looked down at his baby, he saw the determination in her eyes and knew that if she was not going to give up, neither would he. His mother's face flashed before his eyes as he remembered himself in a similar situation nearly a decade ago. Shaking the thought from his mind he focused instead on Peyton's wondrously green eyes, stroking her chocolate hair once for confidence he continued on with his task.

Natalie came bustling through the door and her heart stopped when she saw Peyton's lifeless body and the other three sobbing over her small frame. She broke down and clutched the girl's leg like that in itself would bring her back. The first thing she noticed was a small almost translucent cat with eyes that had the same joyous yet troublesome expression Peyton always had. Looking down she noticed that the golden cat was become more and more solid. Peyton's body lurched forward as she took in a shuddering breath and the others were too shocked to move. Chris glanced at his own hand which was emitting a strong golden light. Peyton's eyes fluttered to a close and everyone moved at once fearful she was really gone.

Leaning over her body Parker heard the quick fluttering of her heart, searching out for the link in his mind he grinned as he felt it as strong as it had been before. Parker wiped his eyes trying to stem the tears and moved slowly backwards so the other could see Peyton. He kept her hand clasped in his afraid that if he let go she might fade away like their Dad had. Melinda sobbed as she traced her niece's face grateful that her body had regained some of it's heat. Chris however was trapped looking down at his hands in shock. Peyton had been dead they were all positive she may not have crossed over but she had been dead and all present knew you had to pack a punch in the healing department to bring her back from that. Chris had never healed before, so there was no reason to believe that he would be the one responsible for that, yet he was positive the glow came from him. For once in his life he thanked the elders and then everything out their except for the elders for giving him this chance.

Chris' hands shook mercilessly as he rocked slowly for a while. Natalie had gone and sat behind him stopping him from going too far and collapsing on the ground. She was worried he would never get up, so instead focused on rubbing reassuring patterns into his back. Jinx had solidified and was curling in and out of Chris' legs trying to calm him. Melinda and Parker had succumbed to the emotional exhaustion and were breathing soundlessly still wrapped around Peyton's body. Natalie felt her energy leaving her in a way she had grown accustomed to, meaning that whether it was intentional or not Peyton was borrowing her energy and at this point she had no qualms about it and slowly her eyes closed. Chris' movements finally stalled when he felt Peyton's small hands grasp his own. Slowly she moved into her Daddy's calming embrace. She smelt the familiar minty sent that clung to him.

"You saved me Daddy." Peyton's words were said with such finality Chris didn't even attempt to argue with her. He just slowly nodded his head in disbelief and clutched her tighter to him. Tears ran down his cheeks and into her hair as images of her dying moments replayed in his mind. Peyton's hand moved to cup his cheek as she looked into his eyes. Her's relayed such love, trust, respect and awe that Chris was rendered speechless. However if there was one thing he was certain of it was that whomever was responsible for his daughter's death would pay severely. "I love you Daddy." Peyton mumbled as she fell asleep again. Chris began to worry about how much the past was affecting all of them. Such a careless and idiotic mistake would not have been made in the future, as such a thing could result in your capture and then if you were lucky given straight to Wyatt, as opposed to the dungeons.

With that thought Chris straightened up and remembered his goal in coming to the past. Chris slowly placed all of them on the bed and orbed to the manor to check on Piper.

:: :: :: :: ::

"How am I supposed to protect Wyatt if you don't tell me when a demon attacks until hours later?" Chris demanded angrily finally understanding why he was being continually attacked and furious that while his daughter was dying there had almost been a successful attack on his currently good baby brother.

"Because, Chris, I'm taking care of it." Piper cut Chris off with a wave of her hand. Chris was struggling with standing in her presence arguing with her when all he wanted to do was be comforted by his mother. Her hair, her eyes, her perfume yes even her glare was the same and it was times like these when he wished she _was_his mother. The glares she had been sending his way and how her hand moved of it's own accord through her hair, were major indications that his wishes of comfort were not going to happen.

"That's fine, but what happens if this demon was the one? The one who was after Wyatt. The reason why I came back." Chris was nearly red faced with the amount of pent up anger and despair he was finally releasing.

"Well, then you're in luck because I blew him up. Not to mention, how many demons have you said that about so far?" Piper sarcastic reply caused Chris' anger to become re-sealed in the tight lidded bottle. Piper watched shocked at how the whitelighter's tone changed in an instant all it had taken was some deep breathing. She snarled as she thought of how often Leo or even Phoebe insisted that she tried something like that and to see Chris perfect it in seconds had a fresh wave of anger crashing through her body, though if she was being honest it was more envy than anger. However those feelings of anger, sent and extra dose of anger through her and suddenly her patience with the 'angel' was wearing thin.

"Piper, I've just got Wyatt's best interest in mind." Chris tried reasoning with her knowing it was pointless but it was the only idea he had. His green eyes poured into hers, pleading with her to see the truth or at least feel the truth behind his words. You'd think after - how ever many lies - that they would know when he was telling them the truth.

"So do I." Piper shot back her voice acidic as she shut the book roughly. "Demon's not in here." Chris eyed Piper curiously, she might not be his mother but he knew enough about Piper Halliwell to know she was itching to blow something up and he did not want to be the intended target.

"Well, what's it look like?" Chris briefly wondered if it was possible that it had been a demon from the future or maybe one of the stories he had been told of as a child.

"Tall, robed with a metal rod thingy." Piper's useful description caused Chris to roll his eyes in exasperation. It had always bewildered his aunts how Chris had managed to have any artistic potential with Piper as a mother. The cooking was understandable but in terms of her artistic ability - she was always better with her word descriptions than her drawings and that wasn't saying much.

"Really? Well, that narrows it down." Chris' sarcasm returned with a vengeance as he thought about how he was being once again let down by Piper. His Piper would never have let him down and he had to keep reminding himself they weren't the same person and this woman hadn't gone through the same experiences his mother had to make her so reliable. He wondered briefly what her expression would be if he told her how much time she had dedicated to demon hunting in the future, who do you think taught him to be that stubborn, then again judging by the sisters reaction to his requests her doubted it would be a pleasant conversation.

Chris' heart ached to see that Peyton was still alright but he had a job to do. Turning to Piper with a sigh he waited for her to continue, gesturing aimlessly with his hand.

"If another one shows up I'll be here." Piper defended herself for some unknown reason. Usually she wouldn't bother defending her actions and to Chris of all people but for some reason she felt as if she had let him down. It frustrated her that the thought got to her more than it should.

"That's just my point, Piper, what if you're not here? What happens if you have a date with the fireman or whoever else you're seeing this week?" Chris knew it was a cheap shot but she was driving him insane and he was quickly running out of time, not to mention wearing a hole into the rug as a result of all his pacing. He quickly shook his head as he realised that it was the rug that had soaked up as much of his mother's blood before it was too much and simply let the crimson liquid flow.

"Look, Chris, I don't want to go into it. But I'm not gonna be out on a date with the fireman or anybody else for that matter, anytime soon, so that I can focus more on Wyatt." Chris gaped at her words. Momentarily stunned he shook his head to focus his thoughts. Piper watched as his brown hair flung about and she fought the urge to cut it like she had done to Wyatt's only moments ago. The blonde haired infant blew bubbles happily as he ran his fingers over the buzz cut

"What?" Chris spat out. He knew it was not right to snap at her, so his voice tapered off to a low hiss towards the end.

"Did I stutter?" Piper's words were laced in sarcasm and discontent as she remembered all the things Chris had done to screw up her life. Leo's face flashed in her mind and she remembered the sense of satisfaction that came over her as Leo told her about the sword fight in Valhalla.

"Piper, you can't give up on love." Chris stated annoyance colouring his words. He knew that there was a chance he would cease to exist but that was okay with him as long as Melinda still had a chance and Wyatt remained good. "Ever." The determination in his eyes and forced Piper to step back.

The finality to his tone shocked Piper so much so that her question "Why not?" was oozing with curiosity.

"Because you just can't, that's why. It's not natural. Look, all I'm saying is you don't have to make that type of sacrifice to protect Wyatt. That's why I'm here." Chris grasped for straws at the idea that he was responsible for his mother giving up on love altogether. Leo had still stuck around until Chris was born in the original time line but he had quickly jumped ship the minute his baby boy was out of the womb. It was only a sad drunken night that had lead to Melinda and Chris knew that even through all that pain she had not given up on love. She loved her kids and she still loved Leo but what showed him the real truth was that she had gotten remarried to another man till he died only weeks before her own death.

"Well, you weren't here earlier, were you?" Piper's words cut Chris like a knife and he had to stop himself from flinching, not that it mattered as she was already halfway down the hall before he began following her. His mind moved back to when he was five and he trailed after his mother like a baby duck, her Peanut. He could do no wrong, look at them now. "Look, the only thing that matters right now is what's best for Wyatt." Chris suppressed an eye roll as he remembered the number of time Leo had said that to him and Mel growing up. The excuse that their family used when they didn't see that Wyatt was being turned. It was the excuse given when Paige was lost to the Titans. It was the reason given when they ignored Wyatt's use of magic to bring Paige back from death and it was the one thing his mother had never said to him. She was the only one who believed Chris when he said what he had seen in Wyatt, but she was the only one and as the ones in the past reinforced, 'one Charmed One's opinion isn't enough to change the mind of the other two' especially if it is_ '__what__'__s__best__for__Wyatt.__' _But even more than that she had sided with Chris over her other son, keeping an eye out for his change in attitude. The subtle glances no one but Chris picked up on, they were the thinks that made Chris feel loved by his mother, the way she always believed him without a doubt.

"This is not what's best for Wyatt, Piper." Chris' mouth carried on the conversation even though his brain was not consciously making any decisions or statements. Even though every bit of dialogue in his brain substituted Piper for mum.

"How do you know?" Piper fished for some future information as she sensed his whole mind wasn't on the conversation.

"Because I've seen the future and this isn't supposed to happen." Chris seemed to respond on autopilot. She silently seethed at how easy redirecting their questions seemed to be.

"So what is supposed to happen?" Piper's inquisitive mind fought to take his words on face value.

"Come on, you know I can't answer that." Chris seemed to have checked back in at that point but Piper couldn't help but liken his reaction to that of a five year old in trouble. That he wanted to tell her but had sworn to someone that he never would. She had no idea just how correct her observation was. Chris had sworn to himself he would never reveal what happened to Wyatt he couldn't be the one to put his family through such pain.

"Well, since you're sent from the future to change it, maybe this is one of the things that needs to be changed." Piper quipped. Her eyes were narrowed at her meddlesome whitelighter wondering why he could never seem to keep out of her love life. One moment he's making snarky comments about her dates, the next he's telling her to keep going on them. It was just as confusing as the rest of Chris.

"No, it's not." Piper was no longer listening to Chris and continued into Wyatt's room. She had only paid half a mind to till she fully understood what he was asking of her. "...binding Wyatt's powers."

"No way." Piper's voice was filled with emotion and Chris subconsciously rubbed that pad of his thumb across his Resistance branding and imagined a life without Wyatt's powers. A life without Wyatt in power. The majority of the scars Wyatt had given him personally where psychological, but the brand was charmed and unable to ever be truly removed, even by magically healing.

"Why not? Nobody would ever be after him and you'd have your life back." Chris knew the one thing Piper ached for was her life back and it was one thing that had remained constant until the day Chris was born. The day she had almost lost her baby boy because she had been too stubborn to use magic and safely carry out her pregnancy. The day she had almost lost her Peanut and despite what Leo had continuously told him as a kid, Piper insisted she was so grateful that he had been saved. She wouldn't have been able to imagine a life without her dark haired, jade eyed Peanut.

"But that would be selfish of me, wouldn't it? Put my needs before his destiny. I'm not being a martyr, Chris, I'm not. I just get it now. I'm the mother of a very special child that if I do my job right, his gonna grow up to do very special things. What could possibly be more important than that?" Wyatt stirred in his crib and whimpered. "Sweetie, go back to sleep. I will be right back." Piper reassured the child before glaring at Chris and storming out the door. Chris thought about what she said and imagined a peaceful world, that would definitely be more important. However sensing there was no getting through to her, turned back to glance at his sleeping brother, his golden hair tousled from sleeping and his eyes blinked sleepily as he smiled at Chris. Picking up Wuvey Chris placed the bear into Wyatt's chubby arms, before orbing back to Natalie's.

:: :: :: :: ::

"We need to figure out who's after Wyatt. Who was distracting you and who killed Peyton because I swear I'll kill them." Melinda paced back and forth on the red beams crisscrossing the San Francisco Bridge the following morning. The early morning sun gave her hair a slight tinge, and she pulled it into a tight ponytail, breathing deeply in an attempt to cool down and think rationally.

"Okay. How?" Chris asked knowing that his sister was in one of her 'thinking modes' and he was just supposed to act as a catalyst to her thought process. Peyton was still too weak to move so Natalie had stayed home to protect her and Parker had stayed home to protect them both. They were all looking so feeble and scared, even Chris and Melinda had begun to lose hope and were trying to focus not on revenge but instead justice as that was what they believed distinguished them from Wyatt. Wyatt killed for revenge and fun, while they killed only when necessary and not before putting up a valiant fight.

"We listen to the only half-decent piece of elder advice Leo has ever given us: _'__Right__here.__Above__the__din__of__the__city.__Just__close__your__eyes,__rely__on__your__inner__senses.__Listen__to__the__wind_.'and find out what we need to know." Chris did as Melinda instructed and listened as his mind ran through all the demons he knew of who had the power to pull this off.

:: :: :: :: ::

Melinda followed Chris to the manor under the guise of picking up the wedding dress to store else where. Chris was busy arguing with David, the 'conjured man' that her Aunt's had given to her _mother_ as a birthday present. Unlike Chris, Melinda was having a hard time separating them in her head so the cold treatment she was given hurt more than she would like to acknowledge. At the moment Chris and David were fighting over him using Chris' argument to get the sisters to agree to binding Wyatt's power. Honestly the more she was in their presence the more she wanted to strangle the three of them. Mel had no idea how Chris had lasted so long with only a few slips into the anger he held. Even then it was a very small comparison to what she knew he really felt. She saw the pain and rage that flicked through his eyes even if the others didn't. Her shoes beat softly on the floor as she contemplated her next move. Slowly she turned towards the attic and made a few adjustments to David's personality to make her Aunt's more susceptible to Chris' suggestion. Yes it was disgusting and wrong but they didn't have much time. Suppressing the shudder that ran through her she prayed Chris and her cousins would forgive her for this but they needed to do this.

"Is this some kind of demonic thing?" Darryl whispered across the table to Chris as he, Chris, Sheila and Melinda all cringed as Paige sat on David's lap and began tracing her finger across his chest seductively.

"No, it's some sort of messed up thing." Chris shot a look at Mel knowing she did something, the guilt shone firmly in her eyes and she looked apologetically at her brother. His eyes softened as he realised whatever she had done had been a result of her trying to help him.

"Maybe we should go." Sheila suggested as she averted her eyes from the show. It really was off-putting, they say sisters share things but sometimes Sheila though that the magic these three have take things way to literally.

"Good idea." Chris' statement was met by Phoebe's flirtatious giggle as she tried to capture David's attention and he quickly wished he could also go with Darryl and Sheila.

As they got up and almost to the door the sisters began a magical food fight and they sprinted the rest of the way calling out their good wishes as they bolted for sanity. Chris and Mel sighed before turning to the mess that was their family.

"Leo!" Chris' voice was frantic and demanding as he called out for the elder. Knowing he was running on not only borrowed time but by some miracle - okay magical influence - the sisters were agreeing to bind Wyatt's powers and that offer will not stand for long. Leo appeared moments later and after placing Wyatt securely in the playpen he turned to the Whitelighter who he was starting to distrust again.

"What happened?" Leo had been worried since Chris called as he knew the only way he would do such a thing was if there was a serious decision being made.

"You don't wanna know." Chris hoped that his explanation would be enough but once again he had forgotten the compelling attribute Piper had in regard to telling her husband plans when she was under the influence.

"We're binding Wyatt's powers." Leo gaped as the words left Piper's mouth, she was so relaxed and at ease about the situation that Leo was immediately hesitant. He manage to stutter out a "What?" as a robed demon's appeared out of view.

"We already decided." Piper and Leo argued as Melinda felt tendrils creep up her spine. Already used to the demonic warning system she had since she was a child, she quickly turned to locate the demons.

"You can't be serious." Leo's voice was accusing as he shot daggers at Chris who was ignoring him as he too had sensed something bigger occurring in the attic.

The head demon shone the metallic rod Piper had unsuccessfully described into Wyatt's eyes. Chris noticed Wyatt's eyes glowing and raced towards the toddler before he was catapulted backwards. Deflected by the shied that he had unwillingly felt safe around. Chris stopped the onslaught of memories by slicing his spare athame across his palm. The pain returned his consciousness to the attic, as he quickly wrapped a small piece of cloth on the bloody mess knowing Piper would kill him if he got blood on her precious floor. Because the 'icky stuff' that Paige had become so fond of throwing around did not leave a stain at all. Chris ran his thumb gently over one of the many scars that same blue shield had given him in the future and thought of the best way to counteract it. It was one of Wyatt's favourite torturing devices once he'd learnt how to access it on command. Chris focused just in time to see Mel, Leo and the sisters stand up - evidentially they had been knocked back as well - and Chris watched hopelessly as the Order's demons walked into the shield and grabbed his brother.

"He's one of us now." Those ominous words rung in all of their minds as the stood for a moment looking at the spot Wyatt disappeared from. Mel broke out of the trance and began pacing in front of Chris, throwing out ideas left, eight and centre.

Chris was responding to various ideas, their natural fight instincts kicking in as their Resistance Leader roles kicked in. So Chris didn't notice until it was too late and then he visibly stiffened. Mel was still off in her own strategizing bubble so Chris used himself as a body barrier between his charges and his little sister. "Listen to me, what are you doing?" Chris called out hopelessly as he registered the look in his mothers eyes and knew he was doomed.

"The pheromones wore off." Phoebe was the first to respond but the clipped, angry tone was one the others had only heard when she was ruling beside Balthazar as Queen.

"Right after they took my son." Piper pushed all her anger and pain into those few words and didn't notice Chris bewildered look at the accusations or the flinch alongside the regret and sadness present in his eyes as he fought back.

"You don't seriously believe this is my fault, do you?" Chris hoped his family at least could tell when he was telling the truth since they always accused him of lying they should be able to sense when it's not a lie. Yet he sighed as he thought of all the small truths he had told since returning with Bianca and just how many of those truths they had either glanced over or told him he was lying.

"Oh, right, so it's just a big coincidence we all fell under Mr. Right's spell?" Chris was used to Paige's naturally suspicious behaviour however the anger was something that no matter how much he had messed up in the past was never directed at him. That in and of itself caused a look of great pain to accidentally slip past his mask, though the sisters and Leo were too angry to notice or as Chris figured they just didn't care.

"And suddenly we all want to bind Wyatt's powers?" It was Phoebe's tone that hurt Chris the most, her words were full of betrayal.

"You see, Chris, what they really want is for you..." David tried to save the situation as he knew that despite how angry they all were it was mainly some form of betrayal and confusion.

"For you to leave." Paige's tone was cold and final. It was Paige that noticed the look of agony on his face, before it was covered up and while it hurt her for some unknown reason she was too angry to change her mind.

"This is crazy. Leo, tell them." Chris pleaded hoping that Peyton's emotional influence was still overriding Leo's own feeling.

"Tell them what? I'm wondering the same thing myself." With those words Chris' last hope was shot. He looked at the floor dejected and glanced at his sister out of the corner of his mind as she thought over strategical attacks.

"Okay, so what if I did? I was only trying to protect Wyatt." He knew there was no way he was going to put Melinda in the line of fire. He promised to protect her and if that meant from his family that he was going to do just that. Her eyes still shone with a tiny fleck of innocence that he was not going to let be beaten out of her by their father - or looking at Piper, mother as the case may be.

"By tricking us?" Piper's voice was a mix between accusing and curiousness, she knew Chris let more slip when he was emotional and that was what she was hoping for.

"I had to." Chris' voice was as determined as ever and it was enough to raise Phoebe's own inquisitive nature.

"Why?"

"Because the only reason I came here was to keep Wyatt from turning evil." It took Chris a minute to realise what he had let slip and then he shuddered and closed off, keeping his emotions in check. His eyes turned cold as he faced the glares of his family without backing down.

"Turning evil?" Leo's response was whispered as the truth rolled over him but refused to sink in. He let his hatred for Chris foster in that moment and he knew that there was no way he would have let that happen, proving once and for all Chris was evil.

"Wait, don't you mean stopping evil from hurting him?" Paige had lost all her anger and was now just concerned about her nephew and who could have done so much damage to the small boy that he abandoned his heritage and turned evil, not to mention why would they have let him get away with it. Unlike the others Paige understood that there was an evil in all of us and she was not naive enough to believe that if under the most serious consequences that Wyatt was unable to be turned. Looking around the room she took in the glares they were all throwing at Chris, she looked at Chris and the way his eyes hardened against their stares but he never looked down, he only looked resigned and it was in that moment she believed him, but she didn't know if it was not worth having to deal with her sisters and Leo, if she stood up for him. Something was telling her to do so, but her cowardice won out in the end - how could she risk loosing her family for Chris - their whitelighter from the future.

"I didn't think you'd help me if you knew the truth. I knew you wouldn't. The evil from the future I came back to stop isn't a demon. It's Wyatt." Chris explained with a resigned sigh.

"You're lying." Chris could feel tears prickling his eyes as he remembered how everyone else had been so sure he was lying when he was a child it was only his mother who said he never lied and when he did it was so bad you could tell in a heart beat. It was a testament to how bad things had gotten that Chris could lie convincingly without even a second to think.

"No, I'm not. He's gonna grow up and terrorize people with his powers, take over. Kill even." Chris knew he shouldn't be so blunt but he figured if they wanted to never see him again, at least then they would have to accept the dire circumstances and do everything in their power to protect Wyatt. He could live with them hating him as long as Wyatt was safe. At least that was what he told himself.

"Why should we believe you after all the lies?" Leo shouted at him. Chris was sure that his emotions had now grown to such an intense level that any hold Peyton's suggestive powers may have had over Leo are now long gone. His eyes shone with hatred at Chris as he viewed him as the person who had destroyed his life. The person who had the gall to show up and suggest that the child - his son - who was the paragon of all good magic was _evil_.

"Because you have to." Chris was demanding as he looked at his charges, he knew they were not going to believe him now, but he didn't have time for that. Piper thought back to the times that she had seen him taking care of Wyatt over the past weeks but she shook that from her mind, it was so much easier to blame the troublesome Whitelighter for everything. He was the one who wanted to cause harm to her son, no one else.

"No, Chris, we don't, actually." Piper knew she was being harsh but she understood that she was worried about Wyatt and by Chris telling her she _had_ to do something, it just increased her desire to rebel against it.

"Fine, then don't. Either way, we need to save Wyatt now and I'm the one who knows how to do it." Chris reasoned.

"Really? How?" His eyes shone with determination that Phoebe felt a bit of remorse for having to question him. She was dubious but she was willing to do anything to get Wyatt back, even listen to Chris when all she wanted to do was punch him. Phoebe realised it must be a collection of all the angry emotions in the room that made her react that way so she channeled the calmer, contemplative emotions she could sense from Jade.

"The Order. They used their powers to turn him, to reverse his morality. See, he thinks bad is good now, and good is bad. That's why his shield repelled us." Chris finished noticing how they all scowled when he acknowledged that Chris was not considered a threat by Wyatt - well except for Paige.

"So?" Leo stated willing Chris to hurry up or he would do something that went against his pacifist elder ways.

"So, I know who brings his shield up around. Who he thinks is a threat but who would help us."

"I don't think so. Absolutely not." Piper shouted at the chocolate haired boy. Her hand twitching ever so slightly as she fought the urge to blow him up.

"Listen to me, they reversed his sense of morality. That means his shield will protect him from us but not from the person I'm thinking of. Please, I'm the only one who can save him. Let me help If not I know a way to weaken the shield."

"Chris, we don't need your help. I will get my son back, and when I do, I don't wanna see you anymore." Piper spat at him. Chris shriveled a little and turned towards Piper looking her solely in the eyes.

"I'm sorry." With those few words Chris orbed out.

Melinda snapped out of her trance her eyes wide and a smug smirk on her face, "Chris, I know what to do!" Quickly scanning the room she noticed she was looking at a very angry future family, no Chris in the room and Piper was quickly advancing on her. Her hands poised to attack. "Chris!" Melinda felt herself being summoned in Whitelighter orbs. "Thanks" she called out as she left her family standing their confused about what just happened, but frantically searching for a way to save Wyatt.

:: :: :: :: ::

A few hours later Chris gathered everyone into the living room at Natalie's. "Now no matter what you feel Peyton, you and Parker are to not come to me. Pey your still too weak and Parks, I need you take care of everyone. While I'm gone your the man of the house and it's your job to make sure everyone is safe, for now they are just like your charges."

Turning to Natalie he gave her a loving hug before smiling at her reassuringly. "You'll be fine Nat, I'll be fine, everyone will be fine and we'll all have a good laugh once this is all over." Natalie chuckled a bit, causing Chris to smile an actual smile before looking at his little sister. "I love you, Mel. I'll be fine, you know me I'm a fighter. If older Wyatt hasn't killed me yet the younger one won't be able to and he is even more tuned to the bond then our Wyatt is." Melinda nodded at her brother's strategic thinking knowing that as a Resistance fighter she was used to losing people but having good reasoning behind your actions always reassured her.

With one last hug from Peyton and Parker, Chris orbed out in the familiar blue and white lights, leaving them preying for a good outcome. Regardless of the fact that they had given up on a God around the time Wyatt killed the rest of their family.

:: :: :: :: ::

It always amazed Phoebe in the underworld the fact that it was under the ground they still had areas like this with an artificial sky and reasonably park like features. They had orbed in in the middle of the leader's grand speech and her poor nephew was being held above an alter. "... who one day lead us back to-" Piper blew some demons up and he stopped preaching as Paige took out some with potions. Her eyes darting from demon to demon trying to figure out the best course of action. Chris always joked that she would be best in a war-like scenario. Able to hold out the longest - up until now she had always thought he had been joking but now the words he had used to describe the future the few times he had let slip, and she was suddenly not so sure. The leader sat Wyatt down and watched with an amused smirk as Piper walked over to them. Wyatt's shield rose and Piper was knocked backwards. "He protects me now, not you." The malicious glint in his eyes spoke of how much he enjoyed watching the child defend him - a demon - against his own mother - a Charmed One.

Creating a fireball in his hand he launched it at just as Chris came in and using his strongest telekinesis redirected it towards the head demon. The rest of the Order demons shimmered out, not risking death as they knew what the Charmed Ones' whitelighter could do.

Chris pushed his body against the shield using his telekinesis to hold him in place, he fought the urge to pull back as he felt his skin peeling off in large chunks. Darkness began to cloud his vision. He slowly swayed as the pain overwhelmed him. He tried to forget that it was his brother, and focus on his will to save him. Chris had gone into this voluntarily unlike the times Wyatt had purposefully corned him and tortured him. Phoebe was screaming in the corner despite the silence that was coming from Chris. Paige winced as she realised what Phoebe was reacting to and the fact that Phoebe had never been able to get a read off Chris, she understood that this was just the tip of the ice-burg. The realisation made her wonder just how much pain Chris had gone through for him to be this controlled. That thought caused a shiver of repulsion to overcome her and she wondered how much pain Chris was in on a daily basis and they were simply never informed.

At Natalie's Peyton was rolled in a ball sobbing, her mouth open as soundless screams overtook her, the others tried to calm her to the best of their abilities, despite both Parker and Melinda feeling their own amount of Chris pain. They knew that Peyton was able to feel 90% of his pain and they hoped she would simply blackout as it would hurt less and cut her powers for a while.

Chris felt himself fall through the shield and was reassured when a strong pair of familiar arms caught him. "Pick... up... the ... scepter... and... point... it... at... Wyatt." Chris groaned out as one arm left his waist to do so. Wyatt's shield vanished as Piper came to pick Wyatt up. She tried to see who the mysterious cloaked man holding Chris was, but his face was skillfully hidden in the hood. The stranger picked up a now unconscious Chris and turned to leave. The sisters gasped as they saw the extensive burn damaged caused to the young man. There were sections when all that was left was bone and the blood was pouring from Chris like there was no tomorrow. Leo stepped forward to begrudgingly help him because despite what trouble he had caused them all, Leo's medical training forced him to help when someone was injured. Besides, the fact that Chris was so badly burnt he was not recognizable made it that much easier. However when he took another step the stranger stepped back and pulled Chris closer to his body. The sisters watched transfixed as he stroked Chris hair in a reassuringly and almost father-like way.

"Don't!" The word was harsh, military like and barked, that in and of itself somehow informed them that he was from the future. However Phoebe had gone pale as a ghost as she realised she was able to pick the voice while the others weren't. _'__Cole?__'_ she asked in her head and gasped when the stranger's head turned towards her as if he had been called.

Phoebe just stared at him, her face not relaying any of her turbulent emotions. She was definitely going to talk to Chris about this - looking at the young man she amended her previous thought. She would talk to Chris about this _if_ he pulled through. That was a frightening concept from the whitelighter who had never shown any pain apart from when Bianca had appeared. Phoebe noticed that Leo had walked closer as Cole was distracted and his hands were now hovering over Chris. Phoebe figured he would shimmer out but was amazed when he simply ran ten paces backwards and clutched Chris tighter until - still unconscious - a small sound of pain escaped his lips. Slowly Cole's grip loosened and he glanced down at him regretfully.

"I won't hurt him." Leo reassured him as he approached the man like he would a wild animal.

"Yeah right." The hostility in those two words told them all they needed to know. This man certainly knew of their treatment towards Chris and he would rather risk infection or death then let Leo heal him. "It's time." Phoebe cocked their head to the side at those confusing words, and when none of the other reacted she realised somehow despite shaking from the memory of the pain - that thankfully had stopped once Chris collapsed - she had ended up closer to Cole and Chris than the others and was the only one to hear those hushed words. However moments later when a swarm of purple orbs appeared, the others were confused about not only the colour but if they were going to have an unfriendly visitor. The person who showed up remained in the orbs but grabbed onto Chris and Cole before leaving Phoebe and the others with their thoughts.

:: :: :: :: ::

Cole reappeared in the familiar apartment belonging to Victor Bennet. Placing Chris gently on the couch which they had covered with towels to prevent the worn material from coating with blood. Quickly examining the wounds, Cole placed bandages in various places as he fought to find a patch of skin where he could give Chris a shot of anesthetic.

"PRUE?" Victor's rough, shocked voice pierced through the room, Cole turned to assess that Victor was not going to harm them and then turned back to Chris.

"Hey Dad, sorry I didn't know where else to go since Chris concealed the place he was staying." Victor who was still reeling from the fact that his dead daughter was standing in his living room, began beaming as he heard her call him Dad. However once his eyes rested on the young man on the couch he immediately rushed over. "Cole, what happened to him?" Cole was shocked at the lack of anger and distrust in Victor's question and answered immediately, retelling what Chris had done.

Victor had noticed Cole the minute he walked in, but had determined that this Cole was almost the polar opposite to the Cole he knew. While Victor had no idea who this Chris was it was obvious that Prue and Cole both cared deeply for him and once he had heard the story and seen the condition the poor boy was in, his familial instincts kicked in. Victor ran between the bathroom and the couch bring various strips of cloth and fresh water, antiseptic and pain killers. Prue had slowly placed her hands over the boy in a gesture Victor had seen Leo do enough times to know she was trying to heal him. Slowly a stream of silver floated down towards the boy. Cole noticing that Prue was struggling to heal all his injuries slowly tilted his head towards the ceiling. "Parker! Peyton! I need you to come now."

Both kids were confused as to why they were hearing their Uncle Cole's voice, but Parker shimmered them straight to the location, while Melinda followed with Natalie. Parker rushed over to Chris and added his hands next to Prue's before sighing in relief as the golden light streamed out. Peyton's eyes watered as she focused on both Parker and Prue's magic and a mix of the two healing power's flooded out of her. Melinda was cursing as she once again hated the fact that she was incapable of healing. Instead she stood rod like watching her brother with baited breath. Her jade eyes were flooded with tears as they streamed down her face and she remembered that the only thing that had prevented them from seeking Chris out was that they had promised to stay put. Looking at him now she remembered how _he_ promised her everything was going to be okay and Chris never broke his promises, so she had to have faith that he would keep this one. Natalie's hand was clutching Melinda's as she thought about how once again someone she cared about was on the brink of death. Thinking back over her time with Jake, Natalie knew that she was not going to let her fears stop her from telling him how she felt. Life was too short for fears and this one wasn't even rational.

Cole wrapped his arms around Melinda and that was all she needed to collapse into his arms. Silent sobs racked her body and she shook mercilessly while Cole tried to reassure her. Cole sighed as he thought of the way he had let the two he thought of as his own children down. He had been so sure that Melinda was dead that when she appeared with Peyton and Parker his mind had begun spinning as he dived into Chris' memories to figure out what he had done. No one moved for a long while until the heard Chris sigh as the pain left his body. Cole moved towards them and moved Peyton back to Melinda and Natalie, as he noticed she was far to weak and she knew Parker and Prue could handle the rest of Chris' severe injuries, while any remaining ones would heal with rest and time.

As Chris had begun to heal Victor had noticed just how much other occupants of the room looked like him. He figured that the youngest were his kids and smiled at how much they were willing to do for him at such a young age. As Prue continued healing his face Victor quickly spotted trademark Halliwell features. By the time the other two had finished, Victor had produced some clothes that would fit Chris and slowly wiped him down with a wet towel removing the blood and grime.

Turning to Prue, Victor addressed her with a no nonsense turn. "Okay Prudence Melinda Halliwell, how are you alive - wait are you alive?" When Prue nodded he continued, "not that I'm not happy to see you, but why come here and not the manor? Finally and most important why does some young man, his kids and whom I'm assuming is his sister all resemble Piper?"

"What no questions about me?" Cole asked sarcastically and was pleased when a slight smile formed on Victor's face and Cole was reminded of the camaraderie they had formed in the future - once he was brought back.

"Well I'm kind of a new kind of Whitelighter, I act more like a guardian angel than the whitelighter's do as I only have one sole charge and only that charge can bring me into existence. For me that was Chris. However even then he has to wield must be bordering on limitless, meaning Chris has more power than even he knows. This process means that the person or people brought back remain who they are in essence but they have had to have been some kind of influential or close relationship with their charge to be called upon." Victor nodded as he took everything in and gestured to Cole asking where he came in. "The same thing happened with Cole. Chris brought him back and although he has his demon abilities he uses them only when necessary. He has really matured over the years and embraced his human half separating himself from Balthazar." Victor noticed the loving look passed between the two, however he was still puzzled until Prue hastily added, "oh, we're from the future."

"Ah, well then I assume Chris here is Piper's son, therefore this young lady must be my granddaughter." Victor gestured to Melinda who nodded nervously before giving him a quick hug. Suddenly a throat was cleared on the other side of the room and everyone looked towards Parker who stood threateningly in the corner.

"Uncle Cole, Dad put me in charge so I was wondering how exactly did you get here?" Parker's voice tapered off and he shrugged noncommittally before meeting Cole's eyes. Cole passed a sleeping Peyton to Prue's awaiting arms before picking Parker up and looking him squarely in his jade green eyes.

"You did a great job little man, I'm sure he's proud of you for keeping everyone safe and together, even though I know Peyton must have been able to feel him and you would have sensed his pain, even Mel would have struggled to keep her mental block up." He ruffled Parker's hair affectionately laughing as Parker shook his head attempting to move it back to it's unkempt look. "Anyway it was your Dad who brought us here. I guess that when he was weakened enough the tie on his magic broke and he summoned us to him, I know even Wyatt was able to feel his pain and you know how long that has been blocked on both ends." Parker just laughed before he started yawning. Prue noticing this, gestured to Chris with her spare hand and orbed both Chris and Peyton to the spare bed before she walked in to tuck them in. Cole followed and placed Parker down watching as he moved in closer to his Dad but stopped before he hit any cuts, within seconds he had joined the other two in dreamland.

Cole and Prue walked back to the lounge room when they noticed Melinda and Natalie were both struggling to hold their heads up. It had been an emotionally draining few days and she knew they too needed to sleep it off. With strict instructions they orbed back to Natalie's house and Prue was not worried about them not sleeping, especially since Melina's orb trail was a little tilted as she fought to stay up right. Cole cleaned the couch while Victor hugged Prue fiercely. Taking in her pixie like hair do and her silver eyes that still shone with Prue like determination, but were more jaded and cold, than they used to be. Finally Cole settled into the old couch while Victor took the armchair. Leaving Prue standing as she went to sit on the couch. Victor noticed that the two moved in sync and a part of them was always touching be it a finger, kneecap or shoulder.

"So Dad I guess you've figured out Chris is Piper's son." If there had of been any doubt in Victor's mind he would have been shocked, perhaps hesitated when answering however he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Of course." Prue smiled happily at her father and moved a little closer to Cole. "However you said that a person had to have a close or influential relationship with the ones they brought back, so explain Cole. Because the last I heard he was vanquished."

"Yeah no one has really figured that out. We just assumed it was because of the stories he must have been told and in a way we grew over my past." Cole answered politely but with his snark firmly in place. Figures of authority never were his forte. Prue moved closer to Cole and Victor watched amused as the tension seeped out of him. Moving to the kitchen when the kettle began to hiss, he reentered the lounge room five minutes later to find Prue fast asleep. Her brown hair splayed across Cole's chest as her fingers entwined themselves in his shirt. Victor chuckled and handed Cole a cup of tea.

Cole smiled in appreciation and sighed when the familiar mix of herbal infusions hit his throat. "So what do you want to know?"

"You and Prue huh." It wasn't so much a question as a statement but Cole felt compelled to answer him anyway.

"It wasn't easy at first, she wasn't exactly my biggest fan when we were both alive. You see originally Chris called us to him when he was two, but even at a young age he understood how much pain it would cause his family to see either of us so we were invisible to everyone except for him. Chris would call us only when he was alone as it still hurt me to see Phoebe and not have her see me, and it hurt Prue to see all her sisters, even Paige who she never met, get injured and not be able to do anything. Being the sole confider and consoler of the other meant a sort of understanding was formed and over the years our bond grew. It was a week before Chris made us available to the world on his sixth birthday that we accepted our new found feelings. Once we were solid and secure enough we spoke briefly to Phoebe who with her empath power and new life gave us her blessing. We had very few interactions with the family as being away for that long taught us to rely on no one other than each other or Chris. When Melinda first came along Chris swore to protect her and in a way we became tied to her as well. When the event occurred, you and I bonded even more than we had, as did you and Prue as I'm sure you have noticed. When Parker and later Peyton were born we became attached to them, so any of them have the power to call us but only Chris could pull us from the future so I assume he was even worse off then he looked as that particular power has been suppressed for years."

"Your... um... powers." Victor smiled sheepishly.

"It's okay to say 'demon' it's not as if it is a trigger. Besides I really wanted to embrace my human half when I was with Phoebe, there was just always the temptation. With Chris though it's my responsibility to protect him and that will always take precedence over my own needs." Victor nodded along as he processed the information before he looked up and his eyes shone with a gleam not uncommon to Cole in the future, but rare for anyone from the present to see.

"So the little ones, they're my great grandkids?"

Cole laughed happily as he realised that they already had Victor twisted around their little fingers and they had yet to talk. Cole's laugh caused Prue to stir so he ran his hand along her warm arm waiting till she fell back into a deep sleep then continuing the explanations. "Yeah Parker and Peyton absolutely adore you, the only one who is capable of beating their high standards would be Chris."

Victor beamed at the idea that he had not screwed up as badly with them as he had with his own children. He understood that it did not make up for his lack of parenting with his daughters but it gave him hope for the future, something he scarcely had. Victor sipped his tea letting the warm liquid soothe him from the stress of all that had happened today. The healing process had easily gone on for two hours although it had seemed like minutes but at the same time an eternity.

He chatted with Cole about trivial and meaningless things, reveling in the simplicity that it gave him. They shared a few laughs and discovered the man Phoebe had described seeing a few years ago. A man who was constantly on the edge of a cliff and needed someone on the surface stopping him from falling. A man who had a darkness in him that was just more readily accessible than most mortal men, but those men still had the darkness. Cole's darkness had the ability to manifest into a horrible demon while other simply had inner ones that plagued their subconsciousness. But most of all Victor finally saw the man who was caring and compassionate, the man who had managed to get two of his daughters to fall in love with him and the man who was risking the wrath of his currently unconscious grandson by telling him small facts about the future. All in all Victor held a great deal of admiration and respect for that man, certainly a lot more than he had ever felt for Leo who seemed to always have the weight of the world on his shoulders, but unable to take any course of action.

Cole smiled as he noticed Victor's eyes drooping. Taking the now empty cup from his hand he placed it on the coffee table and helped the man to his bedroom. Cole handed him the green woolen pajamas and closed the door quietly behind him. Glancing at the old clock, he was reminded of just how late it had gotten. Quietly he crept in to check on Chris, Parker and Peyton. The two little ones were still clad in their charred and bloody clothes causing Cole to sigh quietly. Moving closer to Chris he placed a small kiss on his forehead and checked that his wounds were healing properly. Re-tucking the blanket around him Cole moved to the other side of the bed. Slowly Parker rubbed his eyes as he looked around the room.

"Uncle Cole?" Parker was split on his decision on whether he wanted him to be real or not. If he was not real it meant that the whole thing was just a creepy and annoying dream, but if he was real it meant the last few days had happened but also that his Uncle Cole was here to help all of them.

"Hey buddy." Cole smiled as he helped the tired boy sit up, realising that this might be the only time to take him away from the others long enough to get him cleaned up Cole picked him up. "Why don't we run you a hot bath and get you clean, you can conjure up some pajamas for your Dad and Pey and yourself, then you can go back to sleep."

Parker simply nodded dutifully his body to tired to fight anymore and for now he could let someone else be in charge. Cole walked with Parker trying to keep him alert enough to get him in the tub. Cole managed to get Parker to put a silencing charm around the bathroom allowing the others to sleep peacefully. Before he got in Parker conjured up the clothes his uncle had requested.

Cole carefully shampooed the young boy's hair laughing at how the massaging actions relaxed him further. Quickly he turned on the tap and ran his hand through Parker's hair as the water worked it's way through returning it to it's rich chocolate brown state. After he managed to get Parker to actually use some body wash to remove the grime, he grabbed him in one of the big fluffy towels. Sitting him down on the toilet lid, as in Parker's current sleepy state Cole required something with a back to hold him up, he grabbed the hair dryer and began the quick process. Once he was done Cole passed him the clothes and allowed him to get changed. Halfway through the process both where alerted to the sound of orbs.

Cole noticing Parker's return to getting dressed and the size of the orbs opened his arms and caught a half asleep Peyton. She was alert enough to register that her brother was alright so she simply cuddled into Cole's chest. When she was asleep or close to it, Peyton was always as close to her age as she would ever get. Cole gently untangled her hair from the hair tie before holding her on his hip. Looking back at Parker, Cole chuckled as he realised the boy had fallen asleep standing up. With Peyton clinging to him so strongly he was able to use both hands to guide the now sleepwalking Parker to the couch. Prue stirred and her eyelids fluttered open to reveal her shinning silver eyes. Taking in everyones positions and understanding what was happening she open her arms and pulled Parker closer towards her before lying back down on the couch with him tucked securely into her side as Cole returned to the bathroom and started up a fresh bath.

Peyton was awake enough to know she did not want to use her Grandpa Victor's icky shampoo and conjured herself Natalie's strawberry smelling one. Handing it to Cole she started playing with the bubbles on the surface of the water. Cole had grabbed a chair from the kitchen knowing Peyton's long hair would take longer to wash than Parker's. After conditioning it during which Cole was given a lecture as to how to properly do it, they had finally returned Peyton to her adorable state. Throughout the length of the bath however Cole had ended up with a soap beard and his clothes were now soaked through. Drying Peyton off quickly as he noticed she was beginning to shiver, he grabbed the hair dryer and alternated between drying her hair and running the hot air along her skin as to keep her warm. Her pajamas were one of the only indication of just how young she was as Parker had grabbed a onesie complete with long sleeves and feet covers. The soft pink material wrapped her in warmth and she snuggled into her uncle's chest. "Thanks Uncle Coley." He gave a small laugh at her familiar name for him and stroked her hair until her eyes shut. Moving back to the lounge room he woke Prue enough for her to pick up Parker without waking him and place both Peyton and Parker in the armchair while they quickly opened the couch and pulled out the sofa bed. After placing fresh sheets on it and grabbing some of Victor's spare pillows Cole moved the other 3 back in knowing that it was probably best for Chris that he was able to have the whole bed to himself. Finally climbing in himself, Cole held onto Prue's hand as Peyton snuggled in closer to his side, while Parker curled into his Aunt Prue. At some point Jinx and Twitch had joined them and were now sleeping at the foot of the bed. Finally Cole was able to close his eyes and let the dreamworld take him.


	9. Prince Charmed Part 2

When Prue woke up the following morning she stretched carefully as to not wake anyone. Turning on her side she expected to see Cole's face and quickly suppressed a gasp at seeing Chris sandwiched between the two like he used to when he was little. Reaching over him she tapped Cole's shoulder to wake him. Looking at the clock she noticed it was eleven in the morning and hoped that Cole had managed to get some sleep last night. She watched as he turned and came to the same conclusion she had. Chris may be unconscious but he was stubborn when it came to family and when he was scared or hurt as a little kid it was them he would turn to so they were not surprised to find him there. They were concerned that he had been using his powers even if he wasn't consciously aware of it, weary about how much longer he would take to wake up if that were the case.

They heard a throat clear on the other side of the room and turned slowly to see Melinda and Victor smiling at them while gesturing to the breakfast. The concern both had for Chris' wellbeing was palpable but Prue realised that they had probably come to the same conclusion her and Cole had, that Chris would have to heal himself this time. It would take time and they could not afford to be weak while he was unprotected. They had some sleeping, eating and recovering to do of their own. Jinx and Twitch were curled up on Melinda and Victor's respective laps and were purring contently.

With the exception of Victor the others all realised that their fatigue was probably due to Peyton trying to reenergize herself as well as Chris, while Parker's continual sleeping meant that the majority of it was coming from him as their connection was the strongest. Melinda though physically twenty-one was still only a little girl at times and the fact that she hadn't seen her Aunt and Uncle in two years had only just set in. She moved quickly into Prue's arms once she had settled into the arm chair and breathed in her familiar sent. Prue stroked her hair reassuringly as she murmured in her ear. "It'll be okay Mel, everything will turn out fine."

"Hey Dad." Prue called out and it took Victor a moment to realise she was speaking to him and she laughed as he smiled at her acknowledging him. When he turned to her she continued. "How long have you been up and has anything happened?" The worry in her voice was evident so Victor was quick to put her worries to rest.

"I got up at around seven, you were all out cold so I ordered some food from the bakery down the road. Melinda and Natalie showed up at around eight and we talked for a bit until Natalie had to leave for work at nine-thirty. Nothing happened in that time, then Mel and I just talked for a while, she was telling me some of the great things I had done when I was little and she advised me to go easy on the cigars. I must say though I'm very disappointed in the way they have been treating Chris, suspicion or not I know Penny did not raise you girls to be unkind or ungracious and all that boy has done time and time again is try to save Wyatt. All they have done is shower him with mistrust and hate, even when he returned from losing Bianca. I must say Chris is the bravest man I have yet to officially meet and I am so unbelievably proud to call him my grandson. I also can't wait to see these two as children and spoil them the way they deserve to be and after everything they have been through I don't know how Melinda and Chris have stayed so strong but I couldn't be prouder." Victor took in a deep breath and everyone stared at him amazed he had spoken for that long. Prue nodded as she had gotten everything she needed.

Cole emerged from the kitchen with a tray carrying four cups. Handing a cup of coffee to Victor replacing it with a plate of food. Placing his own coffee on the table he headed over to the armchair and handed Prue her coffee and plate before giving Melinda her cup.

Mel smiled as the chocolatey aroma filled her nose. "Thanks Uncle Cole." Taking a sip of the steaming hot chocolate, she hummed in delight as she remembered what it's like to have people care for you like a parent would. She was so grateful to Chris but she often felt guilty that she had been allowed to stay a child while Chris was forced to grow up and care for her. With Prue and Cole she had always loved having them around as they had given Chris the chance to be the child. It had been hard being in the past and having her mother and aunt's treat her so cooly. Leo had never really been a dad so it hadn't been that much of a sting but it had hurt her the way they had treated Chris, so to have Grandpa treat them so well caused Mel to immediately remember why she had always loved him. Cole kissed her on the cheek and gave Prue a passionate kiss before returning to his seat beside Victor and eating his breakfast. They all sat in a mix of comfortable silence and light conversation as their eyes checked on their sleeping family members, hoping and waiting for them to awaken.

When Prue sighed for the third time as she massaged her head Cole moved and took over the massage. "What's going on?" His concern for her made Victor and Mel smile as they thought about the few people who had the privilege of seeing the warm side of Cole Turner.

"There's something wrong in the spirit world, someone who is expecting to come through and is getting very annoyed." Prue gasped the last word as a particularly painful jolt went through her head. As she responded Melinda realised what day it was and quickly projected a bunch of candles laying them in a circle. Cole stood up and lit them quickly understanding that whoever it was wouldn't hurt them too badly. Prue quietly chanted under her breath and they watched as the golden lights appeared. Stepping out of the circle, Penny Halliwell glanced around searching for Chris. She immediately rushed to his side and checked on him careful not to wake Parker or Peyton.

"Christopher what the hell happened to you?" Penny asked him sternly silently hoping that the sound of her angry voice would be enough to wake him.

"Uh... Grams that's not going to work." Melinda stated.

"It was worth a shot Melinda, now tell me what happ- Prue?... Cole?... Victor?" With each person she noticed in the room her voice grew a little higher and the confusion grew slightly stronger. Melinda took her great grandmother's hand and lead her to the armchair that Prue and she had just evacuated. Prue leant reassuringly into Cole and sighed contently when his arms wrapped around her. Leaning her head against the crook of his neck she smiled as he placed a soft kiss to her temple.

Penny took in the scene and was blinking in rapid succession trying to make sense of the scene in front of her. Mindful of Parker, Peyton and Chris, Penny whispered harshly to get her point across. "Someone tell me what the hell is going on now!"

"Grams, Prue and Cole are from our time and Grandpa didn't really know what was going on but he has reacted extremely well to the situation. As for Chris..." Melinda sighed as he eyes travelled to her brother, her protector and she watched as his body faintly moved to indicate he was still alive. "Well Chris he saved Wyatt from The Order, put his life on the line to save him even though Mum and Dad kicked him out of the house the day before. But he was in real bad shape Grams, this is a scrape on the knee compared to what it was - his bones were visible Grams. We almost lost Peyton earlier as well and that only left Parker the poor boy was so tired he healed them as much as possible but got himself into a physical and mental exhaustion, and the tiredness your experiencing now is Peyton's doing as she tries to heal all three of them by moving their energies and borrowing some of ours." Melinda's point was accented when both she and Penny released large yawns.

Penny nodded and turned to her granddaughter. "Prue, how are you here? Why are you here?"

"Well Grams... Chris called us, he needed us and we appeared in the past. Just in time too. Luckily Cole got to him before we lost him." Prue shuddered at the very thought and could tell it upset the others just as much as it had done to her. "And I refuse to leave until he is better and even then I don't want to leave him with the way my _sisters_ are treating him." Prue said 'sisters' with so much venom that the others visibly shrunk away. Only Cole stood his ground placing a hand on the small of her back reassuringly although he was feeling the same resentment and distain to his future family.

Penny was amazed as Prue's shoulders relaxed and she took a small tentative breath. It was then that Penny was sure this was not the Prue she knew as Prue never backed down and was fundamentally unable to take a calming breath only to not continue her rant. "What I want to know Grams is why you are here."

"You see poor Christopher and Melinda needed someone in the family, someone who didn't care about the idiotic arguments Chris and my granddaughters always seem to be having." Grams shook her head ashamed at the way her granddaughters were acting, she may not be the most supportive in regards to her attitude to men, but they were always more open minded than her and she knew that if they ever found out that Chris was their son and nephew, they would never forgive themselves and their attitude would likely change in a snap. That was one thing Chris was adamant he didn't want as conditional love had apparently always been a problem with him and when Leo had ignored him his whole life, as Melinda had informed Penny, Chris was convinced that the Aunt's and his mother only loved him because they had to. Their attitude to him only reinforced that belief as they were finally able to be honest with him.

The only people he believed loved him unconditionally were those currently occupying the room and Wyatt. Somewhere Chris understood that Wyatt still loved him otherwise he would have killed him with the others, he would have killed Parker and Peyton even Melinda without a second thought. For that Chris was grateful and it was because of that that he was willing to risk everything as he understood there was still a sliver, no matter how small, of good in him and if he could make a better world for everyone he would do it even if it killed him.

Melinda sighed as Chris' subconscious thoughts flittered through her mind. Chris was the only one out of the three of them strong enough to keep up the block for long periods of time and his lack of blocking worried her, however she was reassured that the block was getting stronger as she was unable to feel his emotions that accompanied the thoughts, so he was at least strong enough to hold that barrier up. It was a significant improvement from last night.

"Victor I see your doing okay. You'll promise to look after them? It is quite simply unacceptable to have six people crashing in one small room at Natalie's and I guess one person could sleep in P3 not that I was ever happy about the idea of anyone having to sleep on that ungodly couch." Penny finished her rant, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Actually Grams P3 is not going to work. The only person who had a chance of getting Piper to agree to let anyone sleep there is currently in a heap on the fold out couch and already banned from the manor, seeing the sisters and therefore I believe P3 by default." Melinda had moved closer to Chris and smoothed his hair down carefully before turning back to her family. Penny looked appalled at the fact that Piper had gone as far as banning the young man from seeing them it doesn't matter that they didn't know of their relation to him that was too far in her opinion.

Everyone held their breath as Chris turned slowly, concerned that he was injured and crying out despite the exhaustion but also hoping that he was waking up. Instead it appeared that he just pulled Peyton closer to his chest before resuming his undisturbed barely moving state. Victor watched as the hope left everyone's eyes. Sighing he offered everyone refreshments, after all he knew it was going to be another long day.

:: :: :: :: ::

Melinda returned with Natalie minutes before dinner. Penny pulled her into a hug having grown fond of Natalie over the last few weeks. Natalie's eyes immediately flicked to the three that had barely moved position since she had left them hours ago. Looking away, her mouth watered as she smelt the familiar aroma that accompanied lasagna.

"Urmphwenyd." The nonsensical mumbling caused everyone to stand still for a second before turning back to the couch where a tired Parker was rubbing his green eyes. As he looked over at his sister he sighed again.

"Hey Parks, you okay?" Melinda bent down and tamed his wild hair with her hand before helping him sit up once he nodded. "What did you say before?"

"Pey says we all have to eat something so she focused on waking me up enough so that I could conjure an edible dinner." All those present just shrugged and the statement it wasn't so much an insult as it was a fact and Natalie could definitely get used to the delicious meals those two are always mixing up. Smiling slightly she realised that as good as the 'instant' meals were, Chris' cooking was always that much better.

Melinda picked the little boy up and sat down with him at the table, watching as his head bobbed a little in an attempt to fight off sleep. Quickly capturing one of his sock-less feet in her hand she set to work on tickling the poor kid into awareness. Bubbling laughter escaped him as he fought off the attack.

"Auntie Mel...stop." Prue dished up the food as Mel finally stopped her attack. Everyone watched, mouths agape as Parker consumed five plates of lasagna. Parker just looked at them and shrugged before motioning to the slightly more active Peyton and Chris. No one really understood just how Peyton's gift worked but they had learnt not to question it and as long as it would help the remaining two wake up they were happy to give Parker their share of dinner as well.

"What do we do now?" Victor asked from his position in one of the new armchairs Parker had conjured.

"We wait." Cole's words were expected but his tone was a shock to all those from 2004, it was resigned. Victor couldn't believe the fearsome Cole Turner had no better suggestion. Penny was shaking her head re-evaluating her earlier considerations of Cole as the ex-Source he should be able to come up with a thousand more solutions. Natalie simply understood that this man has an aura of power and if he was resigned she didn't know what to be. But as they all looked at the sleeping pair they realised he was right, this was not their fight and no matter how much they wanted to join in, they couldn't.

:: :: :: :: ::

And wait they did. Five days to be exact. On the second day Peyton awoke annoyed that while she was fine there was nothing more she could do for her daddy. For days people arrived early in the morning and left late at night waiting, wishing, pleading Chris to wake up. It was the third day when Melinda knew Chris wouldn't want her to do nothing and he would put himself down if he knew he had been out of action for almost a week, so after she found his list she set to work, vanquishing any demon that got in her way her power fueled by her rage at the creatures that caused her family so much harm over the years as well as her anger at that family. Though both Prue and Cole blocked their feelings from her, the hurt, betrayal and anger they felt at the current Charmed Ones leaked through and often overpowered her adding to her own ire. Prue was in charge of watching over her sisters and keeping them away from Chris until he was better. With Melinda destroying demons in the Underworld they were hiding rather than attacking making the days generally uneventful for the sisters. However whenever one slipped through their defenses Cole was on protection detail - keeping himself hidden under the black cloak, moving within Prue's purple orbs he would swoop in and complete the vanquish with such skill and precision that it displayed the years of fighting they had undertaken in the future. Luckily his feats had gone unnoticed by everyone except Wyatt.

However everything changed in an instant on the fifth and final day of waiting. Phoebe understood that the easiest way to track down Chris was through Natalie yet it seemed that no matter how much she tried she could not find her. It had taken five days since the incident as she had come to call it before she had a thought that finally proved effective. Remembering back to that fateful day when Chris came crashing through the attic wall for the second time, his trip back from the future, the day when Chris' eyes had lost some more of their sparkle and she understood that something bad, something terrible had happened, that was the day she needed to remember. Pushing past all her feelings, and the feelings of those around her she focused on the conversation that had occurred between Natalie and Chris and even Peyton. "Jake!" Phoebe blushed as all her co-workers turned to look at her before they shook their heads used to Phoebe weird behaviour and unexpected outbursts.

Quickly making her way to the mall she weaved in and out of stores asking for Jake's when she met them she always asked if they knew a Natalie. Finally approaching the last store in the mall she hoped with all her being that the person she needed was inside.

An annoying bimbo of a girl was manning the desk and as she asked for Jake all she received was a roll of her eyes. However the man in question turned around and he thought of how much had changed since he last encountered a young woman asking for him. When Phoebe asked him if he knew a Natalie he was extremely cautious and coldly asked the woman for her name.

Phoebe smiled as the man radiated love at the mention of Natalie and she happily answered his question not noticing his tone and grateful that her idea had finally worked out. "Phoebe Halliwell." The smile was knocked off Phoebe's face as she was hit with a wave of hate and disgust.

"_Sorry_, I don't know a Natalie." The sneer that accompanied his statement made Phoebe step back as her heart clenched in fear of the man with the scissors in front of her.

"That's okay s-sorry for waisting your time." Phoebe scurried out of the store and as she glanced at the clock and saw it was lunch time, she knew that Natalie would likely show up at any minute to take Jake for some food and that may give her the chance to talk.

Kelly shook her head as she stared at her boss, snapping her gum as obnoxiously as always. Jake huffed as he thought back on his week. The poor boy still hadn't awoken yet, Natalie had arrived during her lunch break five days ago looking horrid. He was immediately concerned and listened as she told him everything. Yes, everything! Shockingly Jake was fine with it, he had said something along the lines of always knowing something more was out there and had immediately laughed muttering that he was glad the stereotype of the crone was not true. Slowly she had filled him in on Chris condition and what the Halliwell's had put him through. She told him there was more but it was up to Chris to decide on whether he wanted to tell Jake. Jake had accepted that but he wanted to find these Halliwell's and make them pay. Seeing Natalie without any light in her eyes had shocked him and hurt him in a way he didn't know possible. Jake had come to think of the troublesome young man as a younger brother and even stopped past Victor's to see how he was doing and give the others a break from Nathan and Noah.

Small hands moved across his shoulders and Jake smiled as he brought one delicate hand to his lips. Pressing a tender kiss on her palm, Jake's other hand touched the velvet case in his pocket he had been carrying it around for the better part of three weeks and he was itching to give it to her. Looking up into eyes he ran his thumb tenderly down her cheek. "Hey Nat, you ready to go?" When she nodded he wrapped his fingers through hers and they headed to 'their' restaurant.

Phoebe followed and watched as they ate, finally Natalie left to return to her office, climbing into her car she jumped when the other door opened and Phoebe Halliwell stepped in. Natalie wasn't surprised as Jake had told her about the run in and she was simply biding her time until Phoebe surfaced.

"Hey Natalie, you obviously remember me." Natalie simply continued to ignore Phoebe hoping that she would simply get bored and go away, however from the stories, she had ascertained that it was highly unlikely. "Well where's Chris? I need to speak to him." Natalie slowly clenched and unclenched herself trying not to cry at the reminder of the child she thought of as her baby brother, despite the fact that he was - in this time at least - only a few years younger then her and no longer a baby.

"I'm not able to disclose that information at this present time." Natalie's response was clinical and cold and in no way did it betray what she was feeling and as a result of the blocking potion Phoebe was unable to get a read off her.

Phoebe sighed as she began to get agitated. Huffing she started her rant just to get cut off by the purple orbs they had seen the last time Phoebe had looked at her broken whitelighter. Within seconds Phoebe was alone in the car, feeling confused and annoyed. "Well that definitely could have gone better." She quickly cured herself as she had gotten so caught up she had forgotten to ask what condition she was in and she felt her stomach turn once again as she recalled the way his body had been mauled all to protect them and her nephew.

Piper had been watching Wyatt in the conservatory when ten or so demons shimmered in. Stepping into action she began to fight as Wyatt's blue shield encompassed her. She quickly began calling for her sister and Leo knowing she was outnumbered. Cole stood still knowing that without giving into his demonic powers there was no way he would be able to save them, planning quickly he thought of his family. Calling for help he was relieved when Peyton and Parker appeared courtesy of his wonderful wife.

A few bodies of purple orbs filled the room and seconds later the threat had been neutralized, Piper stared transfixed at the scorch marks staining her floor before lifting her head and screeching for Leo.

Paige wondered around the streets of San Francisco searching for charges that may need help. The magically world had been calm, too calm. It seemed almost like a mourning period before the storm and she knew that the calm would end and it would end too soon. She still felt guilty as for some unknown reason she kept thinking that she had betrayed Chris, she knew it was unreasonable but she couldn't help it.

"Argh!" The exclamation of pain had Paige rushing into an alley way and she quickly stopped in her tracks as noticed the young woman fighting back. She was hypnotized by the fluidity in which she moved, however snapping herself out of her trance she rushed in to assist. The assist was futile as with a simple flick of the wrist the woman had the demon screaming, promising revenge as he was vanquished.

"Excuse Me?" Melinda's head snapped up to look at her youngest Aunt, realising it was too late to do anything she turned to her. Paige swallowed the fear that looking into her emerald eyes had caused. Those eyes were cold and cruel but in a few simple blinks the stoney eyes became a set of familiar dewy green orbs. "Chris." Paige gasped under her breath and began to wonder whether this was Chris as a girl or someone who would become future family to their young neurotic ex-whitelighter.

"No sorry I think you have me confused my name is Isabelle. Isabelle Hart." Melinda moved to leave but almost immediately found the floor. Clutching her stomach she realised just how badly she had been sliced. Hissing in pain she lifted herself up shrugging off the injury her only plan to return to her brothers side for another few hours. It was nearly lunch time hopefully she would be able to grab something on her way back.

It seemed Paige had other plans as she grabbed the girls arm softly but commandingly before orbing back to the manor. When they arrived they found Piper pacing her hair quickly escaping it's hair tie as she continued on her path. Her voice was raw from calling for Leo but the minute she saw Paige's guest both sisters began with a new vigor.

"Blessed Be." Leo's ridiculous tag line made both Paige and Melinda snort under their breaths. Paige turned to their newest arrival happy to find someone who also found the elders and their 'pacifist ways' incredibly demeaning. However she quickly remembered that there was someone who agreed with her. Chris. Hearing his name in her thoughts Paige sighed quietly and Melinda looked out of peripheral vision to see her aunt looking at the floor sadly. Knowing she shouldn't but unable to help it, Melinda mumbled a quick spell to allow her to hear Paige's thoughts. When she felt the sorrow, pain and agony that accompanied her Aunt Paige's thoughts on her brother along with the belief that he was telling the truth about Wyatt, Melinda smiled at her aunt understanding why Chris, Paige and herself had always had a bond. Paige was always the quickest to understand where the youngest of Piper's kids were coming from, always encouraged them to practice their magic and tried to get them out of trouble when Piper grounded them, yet somehow nine times out of ten, Paige would end up grounded alongside them.

"Heal! Now!" Piper commanded. Leo frightened of his wife and did as told until he realised it wasn't working and then took in the face and declared cooly, "why is he here?"

Melinda huffed just because her hair was in a ponytail and hidden from Leo didn't mean that her features were masculine, if anything Chris had feminine features. Melinda remembered the many arguments they'd had as teenagers. Chris would always win when he pointed out that Melinda used to follow him around like a duck as a child, wishing she could be her big brother.

"This is Isabelle Hart." Paige supplied giving Leo a harsh look. "So finish healing her." Leo tried again but just as quickly gave up. Melinda knew that there was a strong possibility the reason it was not working is because she looked so much like someone he hated. So much for non-judgmental Elders. Paige took in the young girls appearance and grew increasingly worried about the amount of blood starting to coat the girl's arm. Her shirt was torn so much that it was just covering her essential areas and Paige noticed a light layer of goosebumps on her skin, however she realised that Isabelle had not shivered once - perhaps that's were Chris gets his resistance to pain from.

Cole was growing very concerned about his niece and knew he needed Prue. Almost immediately she appeared beside him, hoping that Phoebe left Natalie alone long enough for her to heal Mel. Melinda had already taken the medicine box from Paige's hands and started stitching her skin back together knowing it would hold until she could get to Prue or Parker. The others stared at her as she repeatedly stabbed herself with the needle not flinching in the slightest despite her lack of anesthetic or pain killers. Leo noted that her stitching was applied with a medical standard but the speed was military efficient.

As Prue's orbs filled the room Piper gasped and immediately began informing the others of the earlier fight. The lights stopped just above Melinda's stomach and left just as quickly as it had come. Melinda silently thanked her Aunt and moved to leave. Melinda felt Paige place her hand gently on her shoulder. Looking into her Aunts young blushing face, she accepted the small bundle of clothes which contained a shirt, jumper and some undergarments as Paige smiled warmly. Melinda nodded and pulled them on as she turned away from the prying eyes trying to see what the purple orbs had done to the mysterious young woman.

"Well thanks for your help and everything, I don't know what you did it but I feel heaps better now. So...yeah." Melinda walked calmly to the door before she came face to face with a flushed Phoebe, who had burst in the door narrowly missing Melinda's face.

"Wow." Phoebe poked Melinda in the cheek knowing Chris would have snapped if she did that and when she received no reply she simply repeated in shock. "Wow."

They all heard orbing and immediately looked around the room before Piper realised Wyatt was missing. They all erupted in a panic and fled the room forgetting about their houseguest who said two quiet words before orbing out. "He's awake."

Chris had been tossing in his sleep as Victor tried to wake or calm him. "Wy no. Please Wyatt stop this isn't you. Don't hurt them, please they're just children. No!" Peyton and Parker had immediately appeared at their dad's side as he summoned them.

"Daddy!" Peyton screamed as she shook his body.

"Daddy wake up please, you got us, we're safe, we're fine." Victor could tell Parker was seriously worried as he never called Chris 'Daddy' he was _tooold_ for that. Victor grabbed a cold cloth to try and keep him as comfortable as possible since it appeared he wasn't going to wake.

"Wyatt!" Chris plea broke Victor's heart as he looked down at his grandson unable to help. Cole appeared in the room moments later and pulled Chris into his arms sitting behind him on the couch stroking his hair muttering to him quietly. Peyton and Parker were shaking as they saw their dad the weakest, they knew he felt responsible for getting them captured and they have hazy memories of Wyatt making him watch as they were tortured but to see it confirmed and what it did to their dad, made the the truth even worse.

Orbs sounded and Chris cries immediately silenced before he bolted upright. His arms ensnaring his kids and pulling them to him. Wyatt's body appeared in front of him and Chris was on the defence, Wyatt went flying towards the wall before Chris realised it was his baby brother and orbed him onto the bed in Victor's room.

"Wait...why am I at Grandpa's." Chris' confused voice filled the room and Cole quickly wrapped him in a warm hug. Victor scooped his grandson up in a bear like embrace before blushing slightly realising this was the first time they had 'met'.

"Christopher Perry Halliwell! Don't you ever do that to me again!" Prue's deathly cold voice was enough to make Chris shrink into Cole until he noticed the tears running down her cheeks. He was quickly enveloped in the familiar scent of his Aunt. However it was only when Melinda's small frame met his own did he break and his own tears mixed with everyone else's.

"Daddy." Chris immediately ran his eyes over Peyton and noticed her injuries had all but disappeared and judging from the slight height difference he figured he had been out for almost a week.

Natalie leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his forehead, sighed contentedly before turning to the kitchen. "Good to see you Chris." She called out as her form disappeared. Returning moments later with enough drinks for everyone, they all took a seat. Peyton and Parker where resting in Chris' lap when he remembered his Grams.

Penny's familiar voice filled the room bringing a smile to all who were present. "Well Christopher I'm glad to see you have finally decided to grace us with your presence. It's a good thing, I suppose, as you have a hell of a lot of groveling to do before we let you near another demon."

Chris zoned out momentarily and noticed all the scared thoughts coming from his 'family' from 2004. Remembering Wyatt he looked towards the bed where the small boy sat, his blue eyes looking down knowing he was being punished. The others followed Chris' line of sight before Melinda chuckled. "Mum is going to be freaking." Chris poked his tongue out at her before he heard her replay their last encounter. While he was grateful that she had been able to leave, he was very annoyed at Leo's inability and incredibly happy that Prue was around. He smiled sadly as he heard Paige's thoughts and wished he could tell her who he was. Glancing at his sister he was concerned when he saw how much her frame was overwhelmed by Paige's clothes. It was only then that he realised just how skinny they all were compared to the standards of 2004 and he swore he was going to get some food into all of them. Using only his eyes - as his hands were still wrapped protectively around his kids as the nightmare had not quite worn off yet - Chris slowly lifted the bottom of the shirts pleased to see not even a scratch where she had been attacked. His eyes drifted to his Aunt and he thanked her silently for taking such good care of them all.

Leaning into Cole everyone watched concerned Chris was going to fall asleep again. Seeing their faces he quickly lowered the wall, allowing the bonds between him and all those present run free. Victor and Natalie who were not aware of such a thing gasped in surprise, but quickly noticed all the other's had looks of happiness on their faces and focused on the feelings. Chris slowly moved through all the muscles in his body and the others felt the movements as if their own. By the time he reached his toes everyone hummed happily, glad to know Chris was better. In fact Prue and Cole were pretty sure he hadn't been this well rested since he was four but especially not since the event.

Chris remembered the problem with leaving the wall down the minute he heard their thoughts about the event and promptly brought up the wall before the others could tell how much it hurt him. Victor felt as if a part of himself had just been closed off and figured it was Chris' doing. "So Grandpa, has Melinda told you to lay off the cigars yet?" Melinda tsked knowing she was not getting the blame for this one Chris would have told him eventually.

"As if you wouldn't have told him either, Mr 'I'm the only Halliwell capable of keeping a secret'." Everyone laughed at Melinda's childish outburst, and their laughter only grew even more uncontrollable as she turned beat red.

Victor smiled at the two before moving over to Chris and giving him a big hug. The others in the room all looked away knowing Chris was the person most affected by Victor's death and a hug meant the world to him, but he wasn't going to let that show with so many people watching. Victor stroked his head as he heard Chris sniffle slightly into his shoulder before he moved his arms from around Peyton and Parker's waists and hugged his Grandfather with so much strength, Victor got the feeling he didn't want to let him go for fear he was going to disappear. After all, everyone else in the family had died of magical causes so he knew how to get them back, while Victor had simply died of lung cancer - Wyatt had taken the news pretty badly and the evil ruler had banned cigars - but because of the natural causes the powers that be refused to let him summon his Grandfather.

Everyone was startled by a knock at the door and Victor left to see who it was. Chris could hear the familiar greeting but was unable to place the voice. It was only when his body rounded the corner did Chris notice Jake and smile fondly in Natalie's direction.

"Hey bud, good to see. Your looking better." Chris was momentarily embarrassed that so many people had seen him at his worst, but his brain quickly pointed out the number of people who had been willing to drop everything to see or take care of him. Hell even Grams had pissed of her granddaughter enough to be noticed and summoned for a visit.

"We should get you home and into bed." Natalie said as she noticed Chris was about to drop again. Jake nodded as he kissed her temple before nodding to Cole, they wrapped an arm each around him before lifting him slowly. Chris was surprised at his own weariness and it was only then that he realised how close to death he must have been.

Penny and Victor were conversing quietly in the corner and Chris' mouth twitched into a smile at the familiar sight. "Alright Chris you get some sleep and try not to worry too much. Cole, you and Prue have the guest room for whenever you wish to return." Victor seemed so at ease with all these people that all Chris could do was smile and nod his head sleepily, his hair flicking in front of his jade eyes before Prue brushed it to the side slightly and kissed his cheek again.

Melinda grabbed Parker in her arms as Peyton picked up Wyatt and headed to her dad. Wyatt brightened considerably when Chris offered him a small smile. Melinda orbed out first leaving Peyton to orb the others right behind them.

Piper was pacing in the attic as Phoebe ran her hand all over the map. The crystal flying uselessly from one end of San Francisco to the other and Piper was about to suggest the world map. Paige flipped another page of the Book of Shadows before huffing. They all looked up at the sound of orbs hoping for good news from the Elders.

Parker froze them from inside the orbs allowing enough time for the rest of the team to arrive. Peyton handed Wyatt to Chris before stepping to the side and clutching her brother's arm. Melinda quickly altered the picture so that all the sisters could see was Chris and Wyatt. Cole moved rearranging a piece of hair, while Jake wiped the sweat off his brow to ensure the sisters didn't notice anything. Parker swiftly unfroze the sisters.

"I believe this belongs to you." Chris kept his snotty attitude in place, even though he was struggling to stay awake.

"Wyatt!" Piper sighed in relief as she moved to collect her baby boy. Phoebe began to offer a thanks before Piper glared at her. "How did you get him?"

"He came to me. You should really keep a better watch on him." Chris rolled his eyes at his mother's accusations before realising that technically she was right. Phoebe felt some vibes if anger coming from the right of Chris. As Peyton worked on distracting her Grandmother from her rage, she didn't notice that Phoebe had realised Chris wasn't alone in the room. Melinda was stretched too thin by keeping everyone hidden that she was unable to block Phoebe's powers. Sending a message to Chris she watched as his eyes flickered momentarily in Phoebe's direction and suddenly Phoebe was once again left with no readable emotions.

"Why don't you sit for a moment." Phoebe saw that this was her chance and she was not about the give that up.

"No I really have to get back to..." Chris trailed off as he tried to orb and realised he couldn't. Glancing at Melinda he waited for her to move and started worrying when she couldn't either. Peyton finally tried and huffed when she to was blocked. Parker figured it was up to him now so her shimmered on the spot glad to see his powers were working.

"Yeah, once you orbed in you activated the no-orbing charm so why don't you just tell us the real story of how you got Wyatt." Piper's tone was final leaving no room for arguments. Paige noticed Chris' eyes were closing and he was struggling to open them a little more with each blink, she moved to say something to Piper when Chris opened his mouth again.

However instead of Chris answering, Parker rose his hands once more and froze the room, scurrying to the others he grabbed Peyton's outstretched hand, as she grabbed onto Chris' and Parker felt his Aunt's hand on his shoulder before he focused on moving. With so many attached to him Parker only made it to the front door but it was enough for the rest to orb as they began hearing the restlessness and cries of frustration from the attic.

:: :: :: :: ::

Piper growled in frustration and blew up the lamp next to her. "Sweetie, breathe." Phoebe frantically tried to calm Piper down as she ducked out of the way of her sisters swinging hands.

Paige sighed in aggravation, "What's the problem anyway Piper." Paige's tone was filled with annoyance causing Piper to glare at her youngest sister momentarily before Phoebe stepped in front of Paige sending Piper a glare of her own.

"The problem _Paige_ is that he can't just show up when I told him specifically not to come back here." Piper growled out. Phoebe rolled her eyes at Piper's attitude and wished that they had Leo to calm her down, though on the matter of Chris Leo would probably only add to Piper's hatred of the whitelighter.

"Even when he come's bearing gifts." Paige smirked as she thought of how Chris would have either made a snarky comment in return or claim that her comment was lacking and inform her of how to better it. Piper however didn't see the humour - especially when talking about her son - so the fire returned.

"Yes he brought Wyatt back. But how do we know he's not the one who took him, huh? And he can't just disappear when he's cornered - besides what was that 'blinking'? That's a demon power, only further proving that Chris is evil." Piper blew up a portion of the vials, Paige had just stocked up on, ignoring her sigh of annoyance.

"He could barely stand up, how do you think he would have managed to summon Wyatt, let only disappear from the room, I'm fairly sure someone else called him or something to that extent as he was prepared to answer you." Paige reasoned before she accepted it was a lost cause.

"Yeah, sorry Piper but I agree with Paige, it was as if he was using magic to stand up, he wouldn't of had enough power to do anything to Wyatt. He looked exhausted. Besides why would he have saved Wyatt from the order, if he was evil?"

"Maybe he didn't want another group of evil to get him. He wanted to turn Wyatt himself."

"Sweetie, that make's no sense. Beside's I doubt Chris has even been awake for this past week. After he basically glued himself to Wyatt's forcefield to weaken it, you could see sections of his bone, areas without muscle, skin or anything else. There is no way he would be able to do anything." Phoebe was sure that was true, but she couldn't help but remember the anger she had felt to the side of Chris, it had been the same rage she had felt from Jake and she _knew_ Chris knew Cole, so she was weary that he might of had help.

"Yeah he was out all week." Paige let slip before she could control herself. Piper rounded on her little sister who swallowed audibly before answering. "There were a few times this week when it would have helped me to have Chris nearby but whenever I called there was nothing and you know that even when you've threatened to 'blow his ass back to the future' and you've called for him he had shown up. And even now he could have just orbed Wyatt in but he came with despite knowing you would hurt him. So I'm positive Chris is too weak to have hurt Wyatt, not that I believe he would have anyway."

Piper's frown deepened as she realised she was not going to get the support she wanted from her sisters, so picking up Wyatt she headed back downstairs. Phoebe sighed again as she turned to look at Paige who had returned to thinking about poor Isabelle and how they had completely forgotten about her. Paige just hoped the girl was alright where ever she was.

:: :: :: :: ::

Finally reaching Natalie's house, Cole and Jake laid Chris down in the large bed, his eyes now closed and his breathing deep. He had fallen asleep some where between the attic and the front door, so while they were worried about him they knew he would pull through. He was Chris after all and they didn't know anyone stronger. Besides as Melinda reminded them, he had promised he would be okay and Chris never broke his promises.

Jake left to find Natalie as Prue walked into the room. She gave Cole a quick but loving kiss before changing Chris into fresh clothes, she sighed as she thought of how much she had done for him in this past week, things she hadn't done since he was three. It was thoughts like that, that caused a steady flow of fresh cold tears to move down her face, twinkling in the low light of the room. She sniffed before in a wavering voice she addressed her nephew, "You're gonna be okay sweetie, just hang in there and everything will be fine before you know it."

Prue tightly wrapped the main blanket around him before calling for Peyton and Parker. They appeared in the doorway moments later small tired smile's on their face. Peyton's hair was braided and flowed angelically around her. Parker shook his head trying to stay awake, Peyton decided to do the same and started laughing maniacally when her braid hit Parker in the eye. He quickly pushed her back and she stumbled forward as his hands wrapped around her waist just before she hit the ground and the both started laughing uncontrollably.

Prue sighed noticing the common sign of exhaustion, "Why don't you have a nap and we'll wake you up for dinner." They nodded and stumbled towards the bed before Prue and Cole picked up one of them each and tucked them in right next to Chris. Under the white quilt covers they all looked so angelic, the only part of them you could see is their chocolate hair. Prue smiled as the group shifted to better accommodate each other and within seconds Peyton and Parker's breathing had evened out as the lay curled into their dad.

"It's going to be okay. I promise." Cole whispered as he kissed her neck tenderly where he could see the tension building. "It'll all be okay."


	10. Used Karma

**A/N Sorry about the delay. I'm in the middle of exams and will update again as soon as possible.**

Prue flipped through the air and landed gracefully on her feet as she dodged another hit. "Come on is that the best you got." Her taunting voice was lost among the others who were so immersed in their own fights. A loose piece of hair came into view and she huffed before using her telekinesis to move it back into small but tight ponytail. Peyton and Parker had both been amazed at the ways she managed her cropped hair and maneuvered it into hundreds of different hairdos, especially when there was even less hair on her head than Chris currently had. No one was really sure who that was insulting and complementing - well actually Peyton was fairly certain that neither was being complemented but neither wanted to admit to that feeling after all they had dealt with much worse conditions in the future.

Suddenly Cole's childlike voice shot out as he swerved Prue's counter attack before landing fluidly on his feat a smirk placed firmly on his face. "Cheating! Prue's cheating!" A shrill whistle pierced the air making everyone scowl at Chris in annoyance. That whistle was another trait Chris and his mother shared in common and it was the one thing not missed since Piper's death. However all fight's paused at the signal from their leader knowing that although he would never fully accept the title that was what he was and if their leader commanded his attention he would have it completely.

"Aunt Prue?" Chris asked her as if she were a little child caught with her hand in the cookie jar and being given the opportunity to confess and lesson the punishment. Her expression was impish for a moment until as accustomed it morphed into the unaffected mask.

"It wasn't even for the fight, I just needed to fix my hair." Melinda and Parker cackled at how cliche and high school her comment sounded. Prue blushed slightly as she listened to how winey her tone was and she felt like she was in the Principal's office. However her nephew had one over on the Principal, he had power - both magical and simply power of presence and when he had to he used that power without remorse.

"Sorry Prue but you know the rules - this is the two hours of magic free fighting, you should know we can't just rely on our powers - after all you taught me to control my powers, I might as well reinforce not relying on them. It was a valuable lesson that Aunt Phoebe drilled that into me too many times to count. I mean how often did the tribunal remove one of her active powers." They all sighed as they remembered the many times Phoebe would come home without powers as another form of punishment. You'd think she'd of learnt after the first time.

Just like other events of the past Chris knew he was to let some situations play out however he was still uneasy about using such strong magic at the moment. He knew today was important and he knew that he was not to get involved in the events or God forbid that bad karma trickled into him, who knows what they'd find out with him blabbing his guts to every willing ear. The only good thing is that Jason would be no where to be found by tomorrow. So with that in mind he looked his aunt in the eye and saw the same silent defiance he was given by his cousins when they were placed on a time out and slowly but surely he began to chant.

"_Powers of the witches rise,_

_course unseen across the skies,_

_come to us who call you near,_

_come to us and settle here._"

Prue huffed as she felt her magic leave her and enter the Chris' body. She knew it was only temporary and the punishment for using her powers during physical training but there was definitely no upside to this situation and despite all that she could basically sense the smirk firmly planted on Cole's face and she could only assume this was payback for her doing the same thing to him yesterday.

Cole stifled a laugh as he watched his wife pout at the loss of her powers. Unsurprisingly she was very similar to Phoebe in the sense that Chris was taking her powers more often than anyone else. Moving his arms to wrap around her waist, he pressed soft kisses to her exposed neck. "Don't worry they'll be back in no time. Besides you know they'd be no time to fix your hair in a fight." Prue nodded in defeat breathing in the scent of him that was somewhat masked by the sweat from their workout. Prue took the opportunity to make sure her hair was perfectly positioned scowling at the strand that refused to stay put before she turned in his arms and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Prue felt Peyton's small hands squirm into her own, a small cool object was placed in there and Prue watched her small body skip back to the other side of the room, her hair moving from side to side and he gait almost a skip yet there was a childlike but deadly edge to every movement.

Opening her hand, Cole peered in and smiled at the small crimson clip resting on her palm. Grabbed the clip as Prue looked at her great-niece affectionately Cole captured the strand in between his fingers and positioned it were his wife had initially wanted it. Feeling a tiny amount of pressure and a resounding snap as Cole fixed the new addition Prue leaned into his touch as he traced the side of her face.

Melinda inwardly swooned at the obvious love pulsating between her aunt and uncle and could only blame her Aunt Phoebe and Uncle Coop for her ridiculous romanticism. Outwardly however Melinda laughed whole heartedly as she took in the shiny clip that shone like a beacon against her aunt's jet black hair and her mind instantly imagined a little Prue dressed in a four year olds clothes, her dress billowing out as she ran around moving various objects around to create a obstacle course for her and her sisters.

"Okay, now that Prue's 'hair emergency' is solved lets get back to work." Before Chris even ended his statement the pair's had all returned to their attacks. Chris himself ducked in the middle of 'work' as Melinda's leg shot up and met the space where his neck once was. Chris' fist quickly made contact with his sister in a move that would have winded many others, but years of working with the resistance had given them stamina and a bit of pain was easy to push through. Even with his attack, Melinda's leg still came into contact with Chris' kneecap and it was only the conscious lack of power that ensured it was not shattered. Both were visibly holding back, their moves so precise through such practice that they did not need to consciously think about the amount of raw power to put behind a move as their bodies reacted on instinct in regard to the species of whomever they were facing and the specific scenario they found themselves in.

Melinda lectured Chris on not protecting his own body properly as another hit made contact. With a roll of her eyes she focused on what she had to explain in a serious voice needing to make sure Chris completely understood what she was saying. "You need to get out of that 'hero complex' you can't save us if your not alive." Chris nodded acknowledging his sister's criticism and fears. With a small apologetic smile he adjusting his stance accordingly and prepared for the following round.

Peyton swung around as she avoided Parker's knee with such fluidity that had you not seen her fight before it would have left you gob smacked. Continuing her agile movements she shot forward and her hand connected with her brother's temple leaving him temporarily seeing black. His hair was drenched with sweat and Parker could feel the sticky blood moving down his face, he knew within moments the red substance would seep into his hair and so he wiped it quickly with his hands pulling back and momentarily sparing a glance for his now crimson fingertips. He felt the sluggish responses and heavier limbs that accompanied head injuries start to kick in and steadily fought it off refusing to give in. Both were fairly battered and bruised but neither were ready to quit, though many would find being beaten up by their younger sister let alone a four year old one demeaning or disheartening it only abated Parker's worries knowing that if push came to shove she would be able to take care of herself.

:: :: :: :: ::

All occupants sighed in relief as they were magically armed with an assortment of weapons signifying the end of the magic free hand to hand lesson. They now had fifteen minutes to disarm and 'kill' their opponent otherwise they were placed in a sudden death match where a randomly selected team battled against the loosing pair. Parker immediately reached for his knife as Peyton grabbed the baton. Their attacks were like a choreographed dance, each movement leading into the next as if it had been planed and not made a split second before the move was executed. Peyton's hair was in a bun and sweat dripped down her small face as she deflected her brother's blows. The clash of metal on metal was heard though to an outsider the weapons themselves would have been no more than a blur of colour. Moments later Parker's knife was on the floor and he was thrown backwards, as he reached for his own baton he felt the cool metal of his own knife against his throat, though the poetic justice was not lost on him he was incredibly proud of his sister's abilities when it came to handling a weapon. Parker tapped out accepting his 'death' and they walked over to the make shift medical station.

Parker did a routine examination of his sister and noticed she only seemed to have a sprained wrist and a brushed hip. Wrapping her wrist and clipping it in place he smiled at her before grabbing them both a bottle of water. Practice was to be taken with the utmost seriousness however afterwards all fights were left on the floor and they all abided by a 'what happens on the mats stays on the mats' rule. Their throats were too raw from the fight to speak and so they sat in comfortable silence as Peyton cleaned up Parker's head. Within the next twenty minutes - based on the fact that Cole and Prue were so evenly matched and where going to inevitably end up in the sudden death battle - in which only Cole will be able to use magic without punishment as Prue still had ten minutes left on her 'time out'. For now any injuries they carried would be kept through the sudden death round as it was vital to practice for building a stronger resilience to injury and an even stronger ability to fight in spite of one.

Peyton looked around their training room and was grateful that the sisters seemed almost fearful of entering the basement. She knew her dad had a charm on so they would be alerted to any imminent disturbances or unexpected visitors but they had been practicing for the better part of a week and not once had they seen the sisters. She wondered briefly what would happen if they knew her Daddy was here, but dismissed the thought as she realised she didn't want to know. Peyton was snapped from her throat when she appeared armed in front of her Aunt Prue and Uncle Cole with Parker by her side. In a blink both kids were in the proper stance and with their knife's ready they began rallying with their older opponents. Though it was often hard the best way to get through these practice sessions was to 'turn off' your emotions, ignore the age, race, gender of your opponent and fight as if your life depended on it. Within minutes Prue and Cole were covered in knife marks and Cole had been 'stabbed through the heart' by Peyton as Parker 'sliced' Prue's neck. Though they had the opportunity to use their powers all involved had decided to not only stay true to the day's lesson but even the playing field by not using any powers - offensive or defensive.

They bowed confirming the end of the battle and Prue scooped Peyton into her arms waiting for her healing power to begin as she slowly remembered Chris had taken away jer powers but she knew her time was almost up, as if reading her mind they heard Chris' commanding voice echo through the cavernous basement.

"_Powers of the witches rise,_

_course unseen across the skies,_

_return to she who's powers I bear,_

_return to her and settle there._"

Prue felt her magic course through her and hummed as it healed her injuries, Peyton had disentangled herself and returned to her brother watching as her aunt's cuts and bruises disappeared. Turning to her husband who was currently bleeding from his arm, neck and leg, Prue's hands moved over his body, healing all injuries - be they minor or extreme before she helped him up. Together they walked over to Chris and Melinda who were waiting expectantly to be healed. Prue let out a small scoff as she neared them, "so now you need my powers?" Her sarcasm only caused Chris to smile slyly knowing it was her own fault for instilling such strong punishments for misusing their magic.

It turns out Chris only had luck in healing the recently dead, an apparent development of his powers since returning to the past but live people were still evading him.

"Thanks Aunt Prue." Melinda stated as she felt her previous broken arm stop thudding. It turned out Chris knew how to take criticism and improve not to mention he didn't mind giving his sister a broken arm. He like his sister sighed in appreciation as his shattered knee was healed. Melinda had deemed it important to give him as punishment for not properly heading her warning the first time but a shattered knee is good incentive to give someone a broken arm and both were smirking by the end of their round with Chris ultimately becoming the victor.

Once everyone's injuries were tended to and the physical pain was mostly gone they still had to address the lingering ache and tension in their muscles. So sitting in the middle of the room they began stretching out their muscles, the feeling a mix of relief and pain.

Melinda groaned as her body protested more than the others, apparently two years trapped in a necklace did not do wonders for her fitness level, so despite always being miles ahead of Chris in close combat, she was now on par. To the point where he had beaten her in a simple reverse move that had kept her momentum going and she had collided with the floor leaving an unflattering bruise littering her temple.

Chris eyes fluttered to a close and his breathing evened out as everyone prepared themselves for what would happen next. Chris' brown hair, mattered with sweat and blood covered his eyes as he concentrated on the words flowing from his lips.

"_Let the Object of Objection_

_become but a Dream_

_As I cause the Seen_

_to be Unseen._"

A soft "umph" was heard from each member as their bodies met the cool cement floor at the conclusion of the spell. Though the training room had disappeared the slight scars on each of the members remained.

Peyton glanced over at Natalie who was perched on the bottom step and appeared lost in her thoughts. Moving silently up to her, the small girl placed a warm hand on her shoulder. Natalie's head snapped up at the feeling of cool skin on her shoulder, though the hand was somewhat rough it was still too small to be anyone other than the youngest member of the future Halliwells. Natalie stammered incoherently as she looked at the 'innocent' child - her and her brother had just taken out powerful adults easily three times their size. Without it seeming much of a challenge, sure Prue had been hindered by her lack of power but it did not come across as much more than a workout for the children. The deadly grace with which they moved drew her in like prey to a predator, they were wild and precise, delicate and powerful and all together unexpected. Their petite frames held so much raw power even without their magic. They're tolerance level was incomprehensible, then again all those participating were the same. But these two were just children. Children of today's society expected a caring hand when they scrape their knee but these two inflicted the pain on each other without flinching, fought back despite their exhaustion or agonizing pain and all to prepare for a greater battle. A battle which ultimately shouldn't have been theirs to fight.

Parker bumped his shoulder against Natalie's in a friendly gesture and was rewarded by a dazzling smile. Seconds later he was tackled by his little sister, Peyton had curled into her brother contently however it appeared that she had not expended all of her energy as the force with which she ran into him was almost enough to make him lose his balance. Natalie's arms encased the two youngsters, sighing she looked at them amazed at their ability to switch between a childlike demeanor and that of a coldblooded killer - though the later scared her she knew the only way Chris would risk his children hurting each other was if it ultimately benefited their survival and once again she was grateful Chris was here to change the future from a world were children would have to kill to stay alive. Then again the coldblooded killer only really applied when demons were concerned and Natalie had no problems with that, she was however upset that they had to deal with such mess as children, Wyatt's battle had started before they were born. They were born into a war zone and they had survived long enough to see a promise of a world different to their own.

Parker tensed as he was dragged into a premonition. Peyton recognised the gesture and immediately linked into his mind. As the scene played before their eyes Peyton's face split into a smile and her voice was joyous as she squealed in excitement. Blinking rapidly as it came to an end Parker tightened his grip on his sister to stop the little demon from ruining the surprise and his other hand immediately pressed over her mouth to forbid her from spilling the news.

Natalie looked at the two children in a mix of confusion and accusation, she had never seen them act this way before and immediately wondered what was going on. Her question however was answered moments later when Parker linked into her mind. It was a strange feeling - like a slime encasing the outside of her brain as a fog invaded every crevice making it their own._ 'We know.'_ Parker's voice rang in her head accompanied by Peyton's mental cheering caused her to stiffen slightly her mind racing as she thought of the one thing they could know that would have the children acting this way. _'You may as well tell them before Pey does.'_ Natalie glanced down at her hand, her previously bare hand and glanced at the pretty diamond ring surrounded by an Amethyst stone on either side - her birth stone. It really was a beautiful ring and she still felt as if the whole thing would really seem real until she told another person about it and who better than the people she would happily call her family. _'If it helps, we saw that you were going to tell them today anyway - sooner is better than later.'_ Parker wasn't jumping up and down as much as Peyton but you could tell the energy around him was positive, infectious and showed that their war torn years had taught them to cherish feelings such as love. His mind travelled on and though there were no more helpful words from Parker the feelings he had felt still overwhelmed her and was slowly encouraging her to tell everyone.

"Parker, what are you doing to your sister?" Chris' voice was warm and bordering on humorous as he looked at his children. Though this was not the most unusual position to find the two in it often caused Chris great enjoyment to watch the two squirm to find an answer to their latest predicament. However he considered that his newest feelings of amusement could be the result of the fact that over the past week regardless of the extra training, he and his family - well minus the Charmed Ones - had taken out a chunk of the underworld and the majority of Wyatt's first line of defence was now vanquished. So when he looked at his children he saw hope for a better life but right now... right now he knew that something was up and glancing around it appeared the other's shared his assumption. "Come on now, out with it."

Peyton and Parker both looked at Natalie and seeing that was getting them nowhere, Parker squinted slightly causing Natalie to stand and step forward with the invisible force. The action diverted all attention to the now bumbling, blushing Natalie, whose normally primped to perfection hair looked like it had been on the other end of a pair of nervous fingers constantly raking through it. Sure they had all known that Natalie was watching their training session but in the mind set that they were they very rarely noticed anything outside of a possible threat. As it was it was those hands that had been raking though her hair that were now wringing uncontrollably, a nervous habit she seemed unable to get out of, accompanied by Mel's gasp that alerted the other clueless observers to the her guilty - freshly decorated hands. Melinda's emerald eyes caught the glimmer of the ring causing her to squeal in a manner similar to that of her niece and grasping Natalie's hand in her own she lifted the beautiful new addition into view allowing the others to admire the unfamiliar piece of jewelry that now adorned their friends ring finger.

"He proposed!" Melinda's smile was contagious and as the words left Natalie's mouth everyone rushed to congratulate her. Prue couldn't help her beaming smile as she looked down on the young woman and was grateful that they had finally seen the love that the others around them had been privy to. Chris waited until the last moment before he scooped her into a large and comforting hug. His familiar scent - though it was mixed with a slight amount of sweat - encompassed her and Natalie allowed the situation to finally sink in and she was euphoric. She had told those she considered family and they had reacted even better than she could have imagined they would. So wrapped up in her own thoughts she did not fully register when Chris finally placed her back on the floor. Though even then he held a hand to her elbow until she was fully settled before moving to the side. She did however quickly notice the various amounts of money being handed over to Chris. His smile was smug and there was a spark in his eye that showed just how much enjoyment he was getting out of the situation and it was certainly more than the announcement entailed. Giving her brain a moment to fully grasp just what she was seeing she spun to face him though she spared a pointed glare for the other occupants who had the wise sense to step back. "Wait, you placed a bet!" Her sharp words and judgmental tone held no question for she was certain of what was taking place.

The all had the decency to look ashamed for about five seconds before they proudly announced their apparently loosing bets. As it turned out Chris was the sole remaining challenger as the had all counted on an earlier engagement. Without knowing Natalie and Jake for more than two weeks, Prue and Cole had both deemed the engagement to be within the first week of Chris' _illness_. The bet had officially been placed on day four when there was that temporarily link between Melinda and Chris and they had had nothing else to keep their minds occupied.

Natalie couldn't believe that instead of asking him important questions like 'are you going to wake up soon?' or 'how are you feeling?' or even 'do you want something else, tea perhaps when you wake up?' they had started a betting pool, it was _unbelievable_. It was times like these when she wondered how they had managed to lead the resistance when they participated in such childish antics. Her thoughts immediately raced back and she was quickly reminded of them in battle even if it was solely for practice purposes. She thought of how much they sacrificed for the others and how different life was now, how much safer it was to walk the streets, to allow a moment to pass of pure relaxation, a second in which contentment could be felt. Those simply acts that people took for granted they embraced with such passion and tenderness that it broke Natalie's heart, but it also allowed for her to marvel in moments like this with them. Though that couldn't even begin to account for the monstrosity they had faced it certainly made Natalie's heart feel a fraction lighter at the thought of her - if only momentary - discomfort causing at least a shard of joy in their otherwise disastrous environment.

It became apparent that Natalie had zoned out for more of the conversation than she had intended as she noticed Melinda gestured to Peyton who in turn quickly conjured a sleeping mask. Though unsure about the change of events it seemed a plan had been formed and she was willing to go along with it. Peyton handed the mask to her aunt as they had decided a soft mask was better than a coarse blindfold. "Okay Nat, we have something to show you but first..." With the mask secure and routine checks for peeking - 'how many fingers am I holding up' among others, tested and approved by Peyton - completed, Parker held onto Natalie's hand talking her through what was happening. Parker grabbed onto her hand and allowed her to tighten her grip with each uncertain but resounding step across the floor until she felt confident enough to trust the six year old. Chris had been sent with specific instructions earlier to not get distracted at home and to meet them at 'The Lake.' Once again when Natalie had heard the ease with which they considered her house their home her heart swelled.

Natalie felt her body's particles separate as Parker shimmered. Though the feeling was somewhat unpleasant she reminded herself to keep holding onto him no matter what. Once her feet hit solid but soft ground she was grateful that Parker seemed to have tightened his grip on her and that Prue had decided to lend a hand to keep her upright. Now that her eyesight was gone Natalie noticed that one of the strongest features that distinguished the members of the family it was their hands. Prue's hands were delicate but her grip reinforced her strength - it was unwavering. Chris' hands were scar riddled from times when his injuries couldn't be healed magically, either because of lack of healers or a result of a cursed object, yet it showed his resilience and perseverance. Melinda's hands were the smoothest out of the lost because of her time in the locket, they were also the thinnest and were deceptive in their innocence contrasting greatly with the strong woman behind them. Cole's hands were surprisingly warm almost as if they are reinforcing the life in them as opposed to the death and hate associated with demons however that warmth stemmed from power that he had successfully gained control over and it served as a reminder to his sacrifice. Parker and Peyton's hands were the hardest to distinguish, they were roughly the same size and same texture. It was only the nails that separated them, Parker's were short and ridge filled, while Peyton had long and smooth nails, there was the occasional callous or scar but very little to separate them from the clumsy children of 2003 and Natalie was fairly certain that was specifically designed to remind Chris what he was fighting for.

Natalie's senses were overwhelmed by the familiar scent and sound of the running, rushing water - the result both calming and giving her a sense of anticipation. Melinda's smooth and somewhat cool hands removed the sleeping mask and Natalie stared into her jade eyes for a moment before she stepped to the side. The place they arrived at could only be described as a paradise. The water glowed from underneath as if lit from a source other than the sun, it's colour shifting between a deep blue and a mellow green, though the waterfall could be attributed to the sound she had heard it was as if the water disappeared seconds before it hit the surface as the pool of the lake was still and serene nary a ripple could be seen. The warm grass tickled her sandal enclosed feet, it's green colour rivaled the eyes of her company a magical feat in and of itself. However it was the trees that drew her complete attention. An avenue of olive trees created a covered pathway the leaves a beautiful array of colours - the brightest gold, the deepest red, the vibrant orange and the occasional pink. Natalie gasped as Melinda closed her eyes for a moment in concentration and slowly flakes of snow began drifting to the floor, interspersing the colours of autumn with the pure white of winter.

Natalie's blue eyes were brimming with tears as she turned to look at the people she had grown to love, people who were more of a family to her than anyone from her original family were. Chris stepped forward with Peyton clutching his hand anxiously, a white garment bag was strung delicately across his arms causing Natalie to quirk her eyebrow in question. Lifting it, he handed it to her with such care that Natalie pondered her ability to take care of whatever is in the garment bag to it's full requirements especially when she noticed the way Peyton's nails dug into Chris' arm.

"Pey!" Chris' voice was laced with pain and looking down Peyton noticed she had accidentally drew blood from her father's forearm, the splatter of crimson seemed to shake her out of whatever trance she was in. Shaking her head momentarily before she orbed into her father's arms warm arms, her small face flushed with embarrassment she looked into her dad's eyes, her hands stroking his face slightly. As her silent apology was immediately accepted her previously crimson cheeks turned as white as a sheet as she waited for Natalie to move or comment on the now uncovered dress. It tuned out the speechless expression was just as good as any response or other action Natalie could have made and Peyton couldn't help the grin that started to grow across her face, her eyes shinning with happiness and pride in regard to the dress having received such praise.

Natalie blinked slowly trying to process the magnificent and intricately designed dress in front of her - let alone try to comprehend that it was _for _her. The diamonds caught the light and reflected an assortment of colours, yet they were not so vibrant that they took away from the initial beauty of the dress, the delicate lace work was soft but durable against her hand and she continued to trace the ornate decoration reverently. As she lifted the dress up she noticed it was tailored and appeared to be reworked to fit her frame perfectly, even simply placed in front of her Natalie could tell that it was cinched at her waist that would make her look neither skeleton thin or overweight. The ball gown base was as intricately stitched as the top half and once again she was left speechless. Looking at them in disbelief, she noticed they all motioned ever so slightly to Peyton who had despite Natalie's apparent pleasing reaction buried herself in her fathers chest to block out any potential disappointment. Natalie handed the bag to Melinda to ensure it didn't get dirty or caught on anything before she coerced Peyton's head out of the crook of her father's shoulder and met the girls eyes.

"Pey did you do this for me?" Her arms gestured to the whole area as well as the dress, encompassing the entire enchantingly magical area. Peyton shrugged her shoulders noncommittally and Natalie noticed a faint blush that adorned her cheeks. "It's truly amazing, Peyton. No, more than that, it's perfect. I'm positive that Jake will agree with me." Natalie finished with such conviction that Peyton allowed a smile to escape her, her green eyes brightening.

"Although I was blindfolded as you looked at the dress, I definitely agree with the location." Natalie looked up surprised as Jake's booming voice carried on the wind to her ears. His arms quickly snaked around her middle, his nose nuzzled her hair and he pressed a soft but loving kiss to her cheek before turning to Peyton. "You know not many - well if any really - four year old's would be able to do this Peyton, let alone want to do this. You truly are remarkable and don't you ever forget that." Jake's words were the finally trigger and Peyton smiled as she hugged both of them, while they welcomed the hug it was somewhat awkward as she still refused to leave her dad's arms.

"I may be four now, but I'm nearly five and don't you forget that." Peyton's statement was met by a chorus of laughter as they realised that Pey was similar to any other four year old in their need to justify exactly how old they are.

Natalie leaned back into her fiancée - smiling at the way Jake's new title sounded in her mind. It was as if they were synonymous to her and as she sighed happily her mouth continued on autopilot. "Peyton, I believe we are in agreement that you are now the official wedding planner, but your normal duties come first, that includes homework and defence training. Melinda, Prue feel free to help... if she lets you." Natalie smiled at the idea of having no responsibility other than showing up on the day and she knew that between the three of them everything would be fine and it would give those from the future something else to think about when the fate of the world was becoming too much of a burden. As Natalie caught Chris' eye she could see the silent thank you in them knowing that he needed them to have that down time as much as the others and perhaps this would do the trick as God forbid you try to convince him to take a break even when he desperately needed it.

:: :: :: :: ::

Chris lay down on the grass and looked up at the trees, taking in the peaceful air surrounding his family. Peyton lay across his chest picking the petals off a flower clearly trying to decide something as her sweat covered hair dried in the afternoon sun. The cool breeze could be felt by every single nerve in his body and that feeling of complete synergy was something Chris hadn't felt in ages, it was a feeling he strongly missed.

Prue looked down at her nephew taking in his tranquil features; his rhythmic breathing called to her and she lay down besides him taking his hand in her own. Together they simply lay, eyes closed feeling the others move around them. They could feel the energy and magic connecting each of them with the rest of the people around the lake and they could tell it was a different feeling to the one that accompanied Peyton's power. This was a natural connection, a connection at the most basic level, the connection that forms easily when one is so willing to die for their friends and family - blood or no blood.

Chris smelt his aunts perfume before he felt her, all his senses were heightened in this state, as her hand curled around his he tightened his grip afraid that something was going to happen to her as punishment for his serene moment. The distraught thoughts were brought to a halt by his uncle's reassuring hand across his forehead.

Cole could almost hear the thoughts whirling around Chris' mind as he sat down behind his wife and nephew, it was an almost laughable scene if one was so used to Cole being Balthazar or the new Source, but to Cole it was basic instinct to take care of his family specifically what to do when they're hurting. Running warm his hand across Chris' forehead Cole waited for the creases from Chris' troubled mind to smooth out until he once again returned to a state of rest. Melinda's brown hair tickled Chris' nose as she lent on his recently vacated chest -she could still feel the heat mark left by her niece who was now chasing Parker around the trees. Mel matched her breathing to the slow breaths of her brother, aunt and uncle. The silence was pierced when she laughed at the feeling of Chris' minty breath fanning across her head.

Melinda's carefree laughter was sorely missed by Chris and he laughed in response as her shaking body caused a hum to run across his chest. Chris slowly opened one eye once their laughter calmed and noticed Natalie and Jake resting against each other a step to the right of Chris himself. Prue's breaths were deep and undisturbed, causing Chris to smile as he listened to her mumble various insults in her sleep but never once stirring from whatever world she had created. Cole's hand kept up a steady brushing through Prue's short hair though he too kept his eyes closed, Chris smirked as he realised just how much his Aunt and Uncle were tuned to each other. As if feeling Chris looking at him, Cole laid his other hand on Chris' shoulder and forcibly pushed him back so he returned to laying in the soft grass. In front of him he noticed Peyton and Parker had ended up in swimmers and were playing happily in the lake. The look in their eyes indicated trouble but Chris was in no mood to deal with whatever catastrophe they caused and hopefully they would figure everything out before he had to get involved.

Peyton used her telepathy to create small waves and sent them barreling towards her brother who quickly turned them to steam using his fire and pushed the spray upwards so it rained over all of them. When the steam cleared and he couldn't see his sister anymore his mind immediately turned to a worried state. Pushing as much panic down as he could he focused on keeping a level head and searched for her. "Peyton?" Parker's voice grew increasingly wobbly as he scoured the water for his sister. He kept it low enough to allow the adults to rest and not worry them as this was likely a game however even that reasoning couldn't settle his mind. "Pey? Come on this isn't funny." Parker parted the water and cursed his sister for developing her sensing before him. "Dad is so going to kill me." Though he knew that should have probably been one of the last thoughts to cross his mind it was the only thing keeping him sane at the moment. Suddenly tackled from behind he recognised her small but powerful body. Moving her in his arms Parker hugged Peyton to him as he hissed his annoyance at her. "Next time don't expect me to worry." His words were biting but they both knew that there was not even a minuscule of truth behind it. Similar to their father, Parker had inherited his need to protect his younger sister, and worry the minute she left his sight. That thought caused Parker to smirked as he vividly remembered the day Chris had caught Kyle kissing Melinda.

"_Kyle get your hands off my little sister!" Chris' statement had been accompanied by a blast of telekinesis and the half-manticore hadn't stood a chance, quite honestly Kyle figured he deserved it actually he was getting off easy. Kyle thought of what he would have done if he caught anyone kissing his own sister, let alone his best friend and appreciated the low blast he'd been hit with._

"_Christopher! Don't you dare throw a temper tantrum, I'm allowed to kiss whoever I like. Besides Kyle is my boyfriend." Melinda turned her glare on her brother and though she was only eighteen years old and two years younger than him, Chris found himself backing down. "So what it's okay for him to be your best friend, but I'm not allowed to have him as my boyfriend. You should just be happy that you know the kind of guy Kyle is."_

_Reluctantly Chris had seen her point and shuddered as he thought of some of the other guys she could have chosen even the ones inside the Resistance were not exactly high class. Walking over to his friend, Chris extended his hand and helped him up. "Fine...but I don't have to be happy about it. Give me a while to adjust." They both nodded their heads happily bearing a slight resemblance to those bobble head dogs their grandfather used to have on the car's dashboard. As his thoughts distracted him, Chris felt the remnants of his anger disappearing, regardless he pulled Kyle closer and Chris whispered so his sister wouldn't hear his required brotherly threat and reprimand him for it. "You hurt her, you know what will happen. Hell you've helped me hurt anyone that's hurt her in the past." Kyle swallowed as he recalled exactly what they had done to some of the scum Melinda had dated over the years. Men twice their size had become nothing more than snivelling piles of mush. Honestly people who thought Wyatt was scary had obviously never seen Chris defending Mel. While Kyle had always liked Melinda and had therefore been more than willing to participate in the 'interrogation', he had not actually thought of what it would be like to be in the other position as he truly believed he would never get the chance. Now that the chance arrived he was definitely scared to be on the receiving end regardless of the fact he had no intention of hurting her._

"_I know. I promise I'll not hurt her, at least not intentionally - even you have to admit that sometimes you have no idea what you've done to piss of Bianca or Mel." Chris accepted Kyle's olive branch and clapped him on the back with a smug smile. Despite the two year age gap those two had been as thick as thieves as kids. Wyatt would always complain because no matter how much he enjoyed playing with his little brother, he claimed Kyle was his friend first but when it came down to picking sides for the war it had shocked everyone bar Chris that Kyle had immediately stood by Chris._

"_Okay I think this can work on one condition...I never want to know any details of anything. My young impressionable brain won't be able to handle it." Chris' sarcastic remark was met with a round of laughter which increased tenfold as Parker stepped out from the corner and his three year old self repeated a phrase that often followed his dad's remarks around the Resistance "Amen to that, brother."_

Parker tucked a loose curl behind Peyton's ear and while she was distracted he projected another two versions of himself. As soon as they were armed with three water balloons each Parker threw Peyton into the air and they began firing.

"Mercy, Mercy!" Peyton cried as she fought off the attack, she quickly orbed and landed on top of her Dad and Auntie Mel. "Help, help Parker's gonna get me." Sure enough as the words left her mouth five Parkers surrounded the group and opened fire on his family. Conjuring more piles of water balloons and placing them at various areas around the park, they all leaped into action. Even Prue was up on her feet, the chance to have some childish fun too much to pass up. Natalie and Jake separated and the teams were quickly established. Peyton, Chris, Natalie and Cole against Parker, Melinda, Jake and Prue.

Colourful balls of water lit up the park like a battlefield, except unlike the one in the future the air was filled with pearls of laughter, squeals and screams of joy, not of pain. When a time out was called as a result of everyone on the ground panting. The liquid slurping off their resting bodies it was water, not blood a nice change from both the future and present demon hunting. And when a shot was fired during a cease fire it was met with groans of excitement and not agony. All in all it was amazing.

Basking in the sun for hours, there was an obvious lift in morale. Lying about in half the usual amount of clothes, tattoo's on display not embarrassed by those in their company seeing them, the travelers from the future managed to gain some colour back into their skin. They had a picnic at afternoon tea and as the sun went down, they returned to Victor's for dinner with him and Penny. The chatter was nice, light, enjoyable and for once Victor could say that his family didn't appear like they had the world resting on their shoulders.

:: :: :: :: ::

Prue glanced around the table and thought if perhaps this was karma repaying Chris in a small way. Sure enough an hour later when she and Chris orbed into the underworld to take out one demon only to find him conveniently having a poker party with the next five suspects and they had been so involved in the game they didn't notice they were being vanquished till it was over, Prue began to give some serious credence to her theory. Though both couldn't shake the absurdity of the whole situation.

They orbed back home in perfect condition not a hair out of place and as Chris retold the story with a pleased grin on his face they all knew today was a good day. Mel silently hoped they wouldn't have to pay for it in the near future but like the others decided to not look a gift horse in the mouth and instead at her desert while listening to her brother dramatized version of what just happened.


	11. The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell Part 1

Chris realised he was in fact paying for that day of rest, when Leo called him later that week. He growled silently as he begrudgingly ended training and with a wave of his hand the basement was back to normal. Sensing that the only reason he could be needed was for babysitting he took Melinda, Peyton and Parker with him. They orbed outside the manor carefully to ensure no one saw them and rang the doorbell.

Though Melinda had been by the manner a few times at this point it was still a shock every time she glanced at the wood paneling and red painted exterior, sure she had snippets of memories from when she was a child playing in the manner that looked like this but in all honesty the museum that Wyatt had turned it into overwhelmed her memories. The ironic part was that the true beauty of the manor came from the life it exuded and by taking that away, the red dimmed, the bugs and ivy grew and the manor became a shell of it's former self as much as any person in their time.

Piper answered the door, her face morphing into one of distrust, annoyance, barely suppressed anger and most importantly surprise. Standing before her with his shaggy hair being continuously flicked from his eyes was her neurotic whitelighter. Yet the most jaw-dropping aspect of the whole thing was that _Chris Perry_ had just used the doorbell. The nutcase had manners - who knew?

"You called?" Chris' voice was taunting as he shifted Peyton from one hip to the other. Her tiny arms coiled around his neck, refusing to let go, fearing she was the only reason Piper hadn't blown him up. It amazed him sometimes how intuitive his daughter was but this was one of the times he truly wished that she was as ignorant as other four year olds. No one should be forced to fear their grandmother blowing up their father, that was messed up even by Halliwell standards. Peyton watched as Piper shifted her gazed to her aunt and brother both of whom stared back defiantly with raised eyebrows daring her to say something against their presence.

"We didn't realise you were bringing a posse." Paige's sarcastic comment as she stepped towards the door caused a fleeting smile to grace Melinda's face as she thought of her loving aunt and how much of her humor remained the same. Her glamoured grey eyes shone with joy causing the youngest Charm One to tilt her head as she scrutinized the girl. Melinda smirked as she watched her aunt go through the motions, trying to deduce if she was a threat at this point in time or not.

Chuckling quietly to herself Melinda decided to answer Paige's unasked question of why they were there and put the poor woman out of her misery. "Well Chris was taking us to lunch before he went hunting." Melinda's explanation was accompanied by a shrug as if that were everyday etiquette and purposefully ignoring the shocked faces of those around her. "I assume he just changed direction upon hearing you. Besides there was no way Noah would have let him go when the promise of food was made." Melinda forced the words out with as much nonchalance as she could muster while she defended her brother to their future family. She ruffled Parker's 'blonde' hair affectionately laughing when he ducked out from under her hand only to hold it moments later as his unease around The Sisters grew. Piper noticing the look on the boy's face sighed and stepped aside.

"Just come inside and put the kids down then we'll talk." Piper agreed reluctantly. Phoebe was looking at Chris torn between asking him a question and screaming that he tell them more about the future, however she wisely chose to rethink her options as she glanced around at her family members. Her knowledgable, inquisitive eyes took in their rigid posture and noticed both parties were trying not to start a fight. Pulling at her shirt to focus her thoughts, Phoebe decided that watching Chris might help her figure out some other problems.

Chris managed to convince Noah to get down and removed two more pieces of paper and the accompanying pens that Piper remembered from their last visit. She remembered the ease he moved with Wyatt, the way Wyatt _trusted_ him all of a sudden - it was as if there was a bond that was willingly embraced by both of them, a bond that provide such a stark contrast to their relationship with Chris. Clearing her head of those thoughts Piper heard Chris' distinct footfalls growing louder and looked up in time to see him return from the conservatory. His lips collected in a half frown.

"Hey Sigmund, sorry about the head." Chris wasn't particularly fond of the man - he had always seemed extra attentive to Chris when he was a child, as if he was apologizing for some wrongdoings he had inflicted upon him or perhaps the Halliwell's in general - no one really deserved to have their head cut off, besides Chris hadn't despised him the way he had Gideon. _Gideon_. Chris shivered at the thought of the name. The guy gave him the creeps. He always had, always smiling as if he was privy to information Chris hadn't figured out yet and the few times he showed his true feelings it was as if he had flipped a switch - he became a completely different person, a dark person.

"Uh thanks, you must be their Whitelighter Chris." Chris nodded noncommittally grateful that for the moment it appeared Sigmund didn't know about his Wiccan powers. "So how's the future?" Sigmund looked at the boy with something akin to awe. They had all heard about the Whitelighter from the future who had caused ever in control Leo to flip a move which undoubtedly caused some fear to cross the older man's face.

"So-so. Magic School?" Chris dismissed the comment not willing to reveal more to the man who Gideon treated like his own personal slave. Chris' foot twitched uncomfortably - in the future Wyatt had taken over magic school as one of his first displays of power, so anyone who lost a head in the future died, the way they should. It was unnatural speaking to someone who was just a head. This was definitely one of the Charmed adventures he could have done without.

"We have the headless horseman on the loose." Chris made a sound of acknowledgement as he scouted the room so fast it was not seen by those of the past. The exists were clear, there were no demons in the room, no elders and no mortals. The headless horseman had only one option if he were to strike and that was to go through the obscenely large door now imprinted on the wall.

"Okay sorry to interrupt the bonding but we really have to get going if we want to catch this guy." Paige diverted the attention back to the looming door that was now a new addition to their staircase. They all looked to Chris expecting some form of reaction from him and were surprised to see him walking away. His back was relaxed and they noticed he was mumbling quietly to himself, seemingly going over a plan. His mumble cut off sharply when Wyatt immediately orbed into his arms. Chris shielded the infant as his arm shot out, athame in place ready to attack if Wyatt had sensed danger.

Leo and the sisters moved to get Wyatt, but held back as they watched Chris place him in the playpen and hand him some blocks. Patting him on the head, Chris spoke somewhat distractedly to the little boy. "Hey Wy, stay right here with Jade, Noah and Nathan, okay?" Wyatt nodded his head, his blonde hair flying as he glanced at the other occupants of the room. Looking almost ready to re-orb into Chris' arms as he backed away, Phoebe watched as Chris shot him a chastising look. Slowly Wyatt sat down and started building a tower for once not using magic to orb the blocks to him but getting up and crawling to them. "Good job Wy."

Piper realised Chris was praising Wyatt whenever he did things in a mortal way but also encouraged him when there was a demon attack or other reason for him to use his powers. The ease with which he acted like a parent threw her for a moment before she noticed Chris was talking again.

"Spaghetti Bolognaise okay?" The three in the conservatory gave enthusiastic responses and even Wyatt made a sound of gratitude. Chris ran his hand through Wyatt's blonde hair once more before he disappeared from sight his steps indicated he had moved to the kitchen. The ones from 2004 - with the exception of Piper - expected him to return with a magically conjured meal and were left mouths agape when they heard the sound of water running into a pot.

"You all said his food was delicious, you realise it would have to be cooked to get that way, right?" Piper asked rhetorically. She knew that Paige and Phoebe - who were some of the worst cooks - had achieved edible meals with a magical aid but the meals never tasted as good as a home cooked meal from someone with culinary ability. Returning back to the stand they all stared at Sigmond trying to figure out their next move.

Finally they managed to pack Sigmund's head in a cloth bag and headed through the large door stepping onto the wooden floorboard their shoes landing with an echoing thud.

"Um, are you sure you can breathe in there alright?" Piper asked nervously not happy about having to keep the poor man inside a bag. Her brown eyes flicked to her sisters and she knew they weren't too pleased about it either.

"Yes, I..." He was cut off by the door slamming shut and was reminded of his original task. His voice was tight and rushed as he conveyed his sense of urgency. "We must move quickly."

"Alright." Piper murmured as she looked down at his headless - lifeless - body. His legs were bent unnaturally and his robes were completely blood free. The whole scene not exactly sitting right with her. Instantly she made a promise to ensure Wyatt never knew of the headless horseman, it was just better in the long run.

Sigmund pushed past his own repulsion and encouraged them to move along. "Just step around it, someone will be along for it shortly."

Paige whistled as she looked down the expansive hallway. "Wow, impressive." Her red hair flicked through the air as she examined a door, the plaque indicating it was the potions room.

"How long is this hallway?" Piper's question was voiced as she looked down at her and her sisters shoes - deciding that they were any thing but appropriate for a trek down the seemingly endless hallway.

"No one really knows. It's endless." Sigmund's voice held the awe of someone often found in followers of a religion.

Parker snorted as he thought of how right his dad was about Sigmund, he was a mind-washed minion. His eyes sparkled as he looked down the hall and back to face the bodiless head. Only an annoyingly submissive person could possibly manage to get their head chopped off in the middle of an attack when there were a few dozen more targets around.

"That's not true, currently there are..." Parker paused and looked at the antique brown clock on the wall, "562,686 doors which would make the hallway 422,018 metres long." Parker finished with an air of finality that had the others gaping.

Phoebe glanced at the small boy, his golden hair and blue eyes the looks that one would accept on someone who used their appearance to glide through life, instead it was hiding his true intelligence. Sigmund made a sound of disbelief more to do with the fact that someone questioned Gideon's power than the number of doors sounded ridiculous with such an obscure number. Leo simply looked at the kid with a cold calculating glance.

"Well at least for the next nineteen minutes." Parker chuckled as he remembered the first time he had gotten to see the hallway expand. It was after Wyatt had taken over and his demons had just kidnapped Pey and him, they needed a new room for torturing and stood waiting for five minutes until the hallway bubbled and revealed two new doors.

Paige and Piper bent down to eye level, breaking his train of thought. "Hey kid, how'd you know that?" Paige's question was met with a blank stare and Piper immediately stepped in, her eyes trying to convey as much support and kindness as possible.

"Nathan, how could you have possibly known how many doors there are and how long the corridor is." Piper used a sweet voice she saved for lost kids who were looking for their parents, the voice she used when hoping to find something useful. It would have worked if it wasn't for the fact that Parker had seen how they treated his father and knew what they were really capable of. That the kindness was simply an act.

"Math." The single word answer caused the others to groan as they realised this kid really did spend time around Chris and if that was the case they would have to phrase their questions in a specific way. Parker laughed at their faces, his entire demeanor changing to a somewhat cruel one. He decided to give them some leeway as he felt sorry for them, besides he wasn't going to lie, just keep out the date that this conversation took place.

"Well Chris was thinking about sending my sister and I here, if he was too busy helping you - that's obviously not the case anymore, not that I mind, he's the best - so he told us some information about it. Like the fact that Gideon built the school 16 years, 17 days, 2 hours and 41..." he glanced at the clock once more, "now 42 minutes ago. He initially built it with 20 doors and the hall adds another 2 doors every half-hour. So including the four leap years that brings you to a total of 562,686 doors. Then each door takes up one metre and there is a gap of half a metre between each door, so that's 844,029 metres, but you have to divide that by 2 because there are two sides to the hallway, bringing it to 422,014.5 metres and add the initial 3.5 metres - where we are - you get 422,018 or 1 384 573.49 feet." Parker smiled at them and outright laughed at Phoebe's look of confusion, maths never was her strong point. He remembered the day his Dad had told him that Wyatt had declared that the world would only use metres as his foot was smaller than the last king's foot and that wouldn't do to have people realise that - sometimes his Uncle's ego was an amazing thing. Parker's mind was quickly distracted wondering how long he was going to be able to stay there and he began examining the wooden panelling, the mahogany floors which were smooth against his sneakers even light that glowed off the walls casting a warm safe feeling throughout the hall. Lost in the decor that changed significantly when Wyatt took over - more shades of black and red - Parker nearly forgot about the others.

"Wait you did all that in your head?" Paige glanced at the fair headed child, who with his angelic blue eyes looked like a sweet, innocent, naïve little boy, yet apparently he was anything but. Parker nodded and was pleased to see the impressed glint in his Great Aunt's eyes. Out of all the sisters, Paige was the most childish and was easy to get along with, besides she was the only one of the sisters who would appear when Chris summoned them, she was angry that the Elder's hadn't made her a full-whitelighter especially since she could be helping her nephew, so instead of cowering like the other two and trying to figure out what went wrong, she helped bounce ideas with Chris. She also helped train Parker and Peyton, helped them further their magical skills and made suggestions when a spell went awry instead of fixing it herself or blaming them. So seeing the familiar glint made Parker's heart swell. A tender smile appeared on his face as he looked at her but as his eyes drifted to the Leo it was quickly dropped. He hated the man nearly as much as his father did, in fact he was pretty sure his Uncle Wyatt had hated Leo the most for what he had put his siblings through and therefore decided he was the perfect sacrifice to start decimating the elders.

Piper was still staring at the child, stuck on the disapproving tone he had used when he mentioned what they had done to Chris and she wondered if they were the only ones who didn't trust him. It appeared even Sigmund trusted him and he'd just met Chris - well in this time anyway. Then again he was the one with only a head. However Darryl and Sheila seem to trust him and for mortals they picked up on evil beings a lot faster than the average mortal, most of the time even faster than the sisters.

Leo glared at the boy when he saw the words had gotten to Piper, but he wondered how it was possible that Chris seemingly took such good care of them. And if he cared for them so much where the hell was he. The door suddenly burst open echoing in the silent hall, knocking the occupants from their thoughts. _'Speak of the devil and he shall come.' _Leo thought his frustrations leaking into his own head.

At the front of the door stood Chris bouncing an agitated Wyatt on his hip. Wyatt's face was smeared with what seemed to be pasta sauce. The red mess making him seem like an ordinary child for once. "Nathan did you enjoy your trip?" Chris' words lacked their usual sarcasm and were simply inquisitive.

"Yep, it was cool and all, but rather boring, I didn't get to see the horseman or anything." His lip pouted in annoyance, causing both Phoebe and Paige to snicker. It was truly amazing to see how quickly he could change between a six year old and someone much more mature than that.

"I know bud. Time to go, lunch is getting cold." Piper noticed that Chris made sure to stand on the other side of the door and not risk entering magic school with Wyatt at his side. "Phoebe, Paige before you go back to work, there's extra food, so if you wanted something..." Chris trailed off as they both nodded enthusiastically, remembering how good his breakfast had tasted. "Piper I assume you'll want to make something for yourself, but if you want, there is enough food for you as well." Chris didn't even bother addressing Leo given that he was still glaring at Parker. Phoebe elbowed him sharply in the side as she realised that his usual glare was being sent at the small child as opposed to Chris.

Chris sent Leo a small glare of his own as he reached out and ushered Parker along. "Hey Wyatt." Parker patted his baby Uncle's arm and smirked at him before rushing off to find the food. His small body flying round the corner since like any other six year old boy - well any boy really - he was led by his stomach. Chris leaned back and closed the door behind him, but not before hearing Paige's comment.

"So how are we gonna find this dude Gideon, anyway?" Chris was fighting the urge to laugh, but that was instantly squished with Leo's final comment as the door came to a close.

"He's not a dude, he's an Elder, my old mentor, actually." Perhaps that's why Chris hated him so much, he was the man responsible to reinforcing the idea that Leo was above all others and that his charges came before his family - with the exception of Wyatt obviously.

Chris shook his head in annoyance as he rounded the corner, pleased to see everyone at the table. "Hey Grandpa, how's work going?" Chris placed Wyatt in the clean highchair and gave him an actual bowl of food. Wyatt had decided to be the unofficial taste tester and it was only after Chris rescued him from the sauce that he realised Parker was gone. He was incredibly grateful when he had found him right at the entrance. That hope had turned to worry when he realised Parker had said something too bright for his age, though he was able to let his annoyance at his son go when he saw Leo's glare. The only thing keeping him from acting against him was that he had Wyatt in his hands and Sigmund didn't know he was a witch. Prue and Cole were able to use their connection to Chris to see what was happening and like the others Prue wondered where they had gone wrong with Leo. The man before them was not the one she had known but then again he had been like that in the future - Wyatt could do no evil and Chris was always at fault. Melinda received a kind of ambivalence that was only there because she was the only girl.

Dishes were passed across the table and the sharp sounds of cutlery against the plates, filled the air the moment Chris sat down. He smiled as he looked at his family grateful that they were around. His Aunt Prue's hair was pulled into a clip, Uncle Cole's own hair was pressed ever so slightly and he was glad to see they had made an effort at keeping clean enough to eat dinner. "So Chris what will we do about training?" The others all looked up at Mel's question knowing that it was not going to be an option with Wyatt around. The blonde in question gurgled happily as if he knew he was going to be surrounded by family for the rest of the afternoon.

"I'll watch him." Victor offered knowing that it was vital that they all be prepared on the chance - well according to Chris it was more a question of _when_ Future Wyatt arrives.

"We'll stay to, if that's okay Dad. I promise we'll be on our best behaviour." Chris begrudgingly agreed but he knew better than to believe Parker's promise - it was simply easier to have them in the house if anything happened - at this point he could only hope for the best.

"Yeah well Parks, your best behaviour isn't saying much is it. Just remember the rules: 'you break it, you fix it', 'no summoning ghosts or demons because your bored' and most importantly 'stay safe'." They both nodded knowing that even in 2004, being who they are meant there was a strong chance that an unlucky event could send them to an early grave. Peyton was definitely determined to live long enough to see the new world. Rushing to her father's arms she held onto him whispering the same rules back to him. It was their own unique way of saying goodbye and good luck and it was what kept them both safe in harder fights.

With a squeeze of Parker's shoulder Chris followed Mel, Prue and Cole as they headed down to the underworld. Knowing they needed some practical revision they fought their way to through a clan of high level demons - just for fun. The stench and death that followed them was quickly forgotten as they captured the last one for questioning. Mel swiftly placed wards around the room and a slight purple globe encompassed them before turning transparent. They all stood back and watched Chris do what he did best, annoy demon's into submission.

"Hey!" Chris called out until the demon looked at him and then he sat down on a chair they had conjured and began examining his nails. "I heard that your clan were supposedly harder to defeat." The demon had been growling lightly but he let out a ferocious snarl as Chris continued. "And you call yourself a leader. Honestly." His brown hair flopped with each shake of his head before he turned to look at his family. Demons were always easy to toy with - egotistical pricks were just like Wyatt except a lot easier to break. "Do you think he looks like leader material?" The question was directed to all other occupants, who ardently agreed knowing Chris was well on the way to success. The demon was ready to destroy something and only succeeded in burning his own behind.

Moments later the demon spat at them and Chris simply redirected the yellow 'sticky stuff' back to his own face. It was a rather interesting find, usually demons could not be harmed by their own acidic saliva and instead Chris would simply pile it on until they got the message, but it appeared this was not the case. He stepped back as the demon began to smoke and tremor. "Well I certainly wouldn't recommend doing that again." Chris sarcasm caused the demon to snap.

"You son of a bi-" The demon was thrown against the wall so hard his head ricocheted and the resounding crack caused Mel to scrunch her nose in distaste. They should really learn not to insult Chris' mother it was a rather touchy subject. Mel quickly ran through everyone else she knew who had mother issues. Yep she decided they definitely should drop all lines of thought that continue down that path when it came to witches. "Okay, what...do...you...want...to...know." The words were labored and Chris knew it was time for approach two.

"You know I heard about this plan to attack the twice-blessed child and I was wondering how does one go about that." The demon's sneer quickly turned into a smirk as his buddy appeared in a shadowed corner fireball ready and lifted it to throw. As the ball was flicked the demon stumbled backwards and clutched his chest where Chris had flicked his athame, his emerald eyes had never strayed from the one in front of him nor acknowledged the other demon entering.

The deafening roars of the vanquished demon echoed throughout the cave, the fireball dissipating in it's path and Chris wondered what would of happened if he hadn't of seen the demon's momentary smirk. Luckily he didn't have to worry about that in the future, Demons were easily predictable and many feared the Resistance leader and hoped for his mercy. Even more than Wyatt's mercy - there was always a chance Wyatt had a place for them whereas Chris was able to easily deduce their true alliance on whose side of the war they stood on. If they were Wyatt's they were simply sent back minus a few limbs, if they were true Resistance they were given an opportunity to join. But if they in anyway threatened to harm anyone Chris considered family - which was effectively anyone in the resistance they'd better run, and run fast because they would be destroyed faster than they could say 'Oh Shit.' While Wyatt drew out his torture, Chris' kills were quick but despite everything Chris' vanquishes were always more painful.

"I don't know. Honest. There was one guy asking around, darklighters, tracers he wants everyone and anyone involved in some master plan all revolving around the _twice-blessed_." Wyatt's title was synonymous with garbage in the underworld and Chris couldn't help but be grateful the Elder's hadn't deemed him or Mel good enough to grant them a formal title. The twice-blessed at this age was nothing more than hype but the name Chris Perry had demon's shaking in their boots.

Chris's hair barely moved as he ducked a darklighter arrow that landed in the chatty demon's cold heart. He was vanquished within the seconds that it took for Melinda to turn the darklighter to ice and then explode - one of the benefits of that power was the lack of mess. Chris laughed at the idea of the various filth of the Underworld coordinating under anyone but Wyatt. As shown it never did quite go as planned. Even Wyatt had to sacrifice his own on a daily basis to make a point. Chris smiled happily at his little sister, laughing as she adjusted her hair in an exaggeratory manner, the toll of demon hunting causing a great deal of unnecessary work.

"Well that's not fair, we barely got to do anything." Cole's voice whined out from behind them and Prue shook her head in exasperation wondering how anyone could believe that he was capable of being a man of influence, let alone the Source of all Evil.

Cole shrugged and pulled Prue to his side, quickly looking her over for any injuries they may have missed. "I'm fine. You two okay?" Prue's concerned tone was unnecessary as she knew if their was anything drastic she would have felt it. Nevertheless she sighed in relief when they both nodded. Chris glanced down at his slightly charred shirt and frowned in annoyance. That had been one of the ones he liked. Waving his hand slightly the shirt mended itself, the skin sowing together as if by an invisible string. Grunting as he was swiftly hit over the head, Chris quickly ducked any further attacks.. "Personal gain!" Chris smiled sheepishly at his aunt, ignored his uncle's loud guffaw as he focused on the troublesome thoughts that were being unintentionally projected into his head.

Chris quickly motioned to Melinda and she headed up to the manner the others following close behind. Chris stayed back for a moment allowing the others to get into position and giving him the chance to collect his thoughts and block out his kids.

"Peyton! Parker! Front and Center. Now!" Chris' voice carried through the house as Mel quickly grabbed Victor's hand, pulling him and Wyatt out of harms way. Victor noticed Prue and Cole also step backwards a few paces. Their uneasy faces made Victor quickly realise that Chris was in his resistance leader mode. Mel sighed knowing that there was nothing they could do for the kids and they would all be screwed if one of them stepped in now.

Chris pushed his sleeves up to his elbows as his kids dropped down from the ceiling landing effortlessly on their feet. Shaking his head in disbelief that they would actually do something so dumb he focused on closing his emotions off from the others lest they severity of whatever punishment was given was a direct correlation to how they dealt with the next conversation.

Peyton was dressed in a flowing dress that billowed around her knees giving off the sense of childhood lightheartedness neither of them really possessed. The bell part of the skirt acting almost like a parachute and making her landing even smoother than Parker's. Their skateboards flew uselessly towards the ground, causing Prue to grab them before they had the chance to make contact. She quickly stepped back into line and nodded as Chris threw her a grateful glance. His green eyes seemed to cool a bit and his resolve was not as terrifying, yet there was something bubbling beneath the surface that no one wanted to be on the receiving end of.

Victor noticed Chris take a deep breath and shivered as an aura of power and anger settled on the room.

"What the hell were you two doing skateboarding on the ceiling?" Chris' voice was no longer a yell and instead had taken on that calm voice that had both kids reaching for each other and looking at their dad apologetically. The statement would have made many other families laugh or amused but this lot simply hoped that Peyton and Parker managed to defuse their father before he decided to pick on the rest of them.

Parker threw an apologetic look at his great-grandfather before beginning their explanation. "Grandpa Victor said we couldn't go to the park as we had to take care of Uncle Wyatt in case the sisters got back. So we remembered that you said that Grandma Piper would kill you if we skated on her floors, but you never said anything about the ceiling besides it's not like she ever looks up - oh wait..." Parker trailed off as he realised that Piper did in fact look at the ceiling every time she called for Leo or Chris or had half a mind to curse at the Elders. "Uh...sorry?" Parker's voice was one of indecision as he realised that they probably should have thought of something else to do as opposed to casting a spell and leaving wheel marks on the ceiling. The tracks from the boards were as clear as day against the pale paint and the chandelier was teetering precariously as a result of their races - Parker quickly muttered under his breath and was rewarded when the chandelier quickly returned to it's motion free state. Chris knew it was at least partially his fault as he had taught them the spell and made sure they knew how to alter the gravity around other objects but they were supposed to use it to piss off demons not turn the ceiling into a skatepark - though no one could fault the originality of the idea.

Peyton cleared her throat and Chris looked at her noticing that the charcoal flecks that clouded her emerald eyes when she was frightened were now replaced by ones of blue determination. Grabbing her brother's hand she lifted them back to the ceiling. Sitting on small towels, with a rag in each hand, Chris sighed when a bucket appeared hovering in the air between them. He understood what they were doing and nodded approvingly, conjuring a layer of material similar to glad wrap that would catch all the spills before he turned back to the couch.

The familiar worn material soothed him - if not giving him a little more support than he was used to in the future. The others all could feel the tense atmosphere slowly dissipating and let out a collective sigh. Prue and Cole sat in the armchair with Melinda at their feet.

Prue's nimble fingers worked through Mel's hair, parting it like she used to when Mel was a little girl, she was fairly certain that at one stage when she was a child herself she had done this for Phoebe. Prue sighed inwardly as she felt a stab of annoyance - she loved her sisters she really did but all she wanted to do at the moment was shake some sense into them. Melinda's chocolate hair was easily manipulated and Prue relished in the soft texture and shiny gloss that had quickly returned once they had access to conditioner and water again.

Cole looked at Prue lovingly, he could tell her mind was trapped in years gone by and as he wrapped a blanket around her before closing his own eyes he could almost imagine it too. The days before The Event and they were all simply lounging around on any another afternoon.

Victor's looked knowingly at the three curled up, he watched as they relaxed obviously seeing something else. He desperate wished they didn't have to know of the horror that the future brought. Moving quietly onto the couch next to Christopher and ruffled his unruly hair when his head came to rest on Victor's shoulder, sighing Victor thought of how much of Piper he could see in Chris and wondered how it was possible for them to not see it. The poor boy took on too much responsibility and with troublemakers like the two currently cleaning the ceiling he wondered how his grandson managed to do it - let alone run the Resistance in the future. Yet he realised it was probably because of those two devils that Chris had the drive to keep moving on, many others would have given up or killed Wyatt - Chris certainly had the power to - or if they did make it to the past they would have killed the boy as an infant when he didn't have power. But not Chris. Chris was determined to save as many as he could, however it was his 'or die trying' aspect that had Victor concerned. He saw in Chris a strength he had only ever seen in his oldest daughter and look how that turned out - albeit it was somewhat more positive knowing she'd return in the future but the sentiment was all the same.

Chris leaned forward and snatched up the remote, hoping to distract himself and anyone else from their thoughts with a few hours of mindless entertainment. The TV turned on with a crackle that caused the future occupants to smile in remembrance. Up until The Event technology was advancing so quickly that they didn't even have remotes you wanted to change the channel you just had to tell Suri to do it.

Channel flicking seemed as interesting as it used to be when as one they all moved in closer and straightened up their eyes catching something interesting. An episode of the final season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S started and by the first five minutes they were all singing along to the theme song, there was a careless atmosphere that Victor was happy to keep for as long as possible.

With Joey messing around in the background Victor watched absentmindedly as Chris' hand flew easily across the once blank page, the charcoal he was using somehow ending up smeared across the left side of his cheek. Bit by bit the picture came together and Victor couldn't believe the image he had captured of Wyatt in his grandfather's arms. There was a peaceful and innocent aspect to the picture and somehow Victor had come across as a caring grandfather instead of the abandoning father he had come to define himself as. The familiarity and fluidity of the movements along with the pulsing of his muscles caused Chris to lose the remaining tension as his drawing came to a close - he remembered the one time his mother had sent him to a therapist because he was the only seven year old she knew who didn't act out and she was worried he had some deep seeded psychological trauma from the many demon attacks, it turned out it was a good thing the therapist was a witch as she had simply watched as Chris drew monster after monster that he had seen in the years and page after page he would add the information including how to vanquish and pass it to her to be placed in his own mini book of shadows. Realising that his kids were generally well behaved a very rarely acted out like they had he nodded slightly, chuckling as Peyton and Parker moved over to a closer section of the ceiling so they could watch.

It was during the second episode they had watched, the whole gang were lounging in Central Perk and an image of a similar group of people flashed through Chris' mind. It was as if a new memory had been formed and there had been one extra member. Within moments he realised what it was and turned to the others from the future, they all had their face's scrunched up in confusion. His mind turned over a few possibilities before it seemed to settle on only one solution.

Victor turned down the TV when Chris conjured up a long scroll it's sides frail and stained with age. He saw the hesitance in his grandson's eyes and longed to comfort him somehow, yet at the same if this thing was so important that it caused Chris to act this way Victor wasn't sure he wanted to know what it was.

Unrolling the parchment with trembling hands, Chris nearly collapsed, overwhelmed with relief and hope. His breaths interchanged between rapid, shallow ones and deep shuddering breaths as his mind tried to make sense of everything that had just happened. His eyes shone in a way none had seen since Piper's death and everyone took an unintentional step forward wanting to see what had broken their usually stoic Chris.

"Chris what is that?" Melinda's voice was hesitant but she was teeming with curiosity that laced her words. Whatever had just happened was obviously big for Chris to have that kind of reaction and Melinda was just as curious as her brother sometimes - her usually controlled and emotionally distant brother who looked on the verge of doing cartwheels and screaming with joy for the world to hear.

Looking over his shoulder they saw that it was a list of relatives and friends who had died. However there were two empty columns, one marked 'death by' and the second 'saved'. Next to their cousin - Phoebe's youngest daughter - Penelope's name, under 'death by' was Hertin and 'saved' now contained a tick. Prue processed the information shaking her head slightly, it was impossible, it couldn't possibly be true. She shook her head, her jet black hair flying rapidly as she refused to give herself hope only for it to be crushed, so she - and everyone else - looked to Chris.

He smiled brightly and locked eyes with his sister. "It means we saved Penelope. The angels of Death and Destiny gave me this, they refused to give me the demons names, but they agreed that once the demon was killed the chart would inform me of who was saved."

Glancing at the list Melinda was glad to see her mothers name on the chart, meaning she wasn't meant to die - at least not when she did. The name at the top of the list made her stomach turn. Wyatt. The date next to his 'date of death' was the day of Chris' birth. She understood that Chris had been given help regarding what time in the past to return to, she just had never realised it was from such a reliable source.

Melinda felt that if they managed to save Wyatt a undefinable number of people would be saved since Wyatt's reign of terror had a domino like effect and was going to do the same in the name of good magic, of that she was positive. Melinda looked over to her uncle and saw he was tearing up slightly at the possibility of saving all those they loved. Cole's hand was gripped tightly in Prue's and his nose was nestled in her hair trying to reinforce that this was not a dream.

All of the adults just sat there basking in the newest discovery, they could change more than just Wyatt, they could save people who Death and Destiny decided weren't meant to die when they did. They all knew it was possible that there would be some who they would only delay the date for but at least then they died the way they were meant to and not by their psychotic relative.

Peyton and Parker were humming as they continued cleaning, their cheerful sounds echoing through the silent house reminding everyone of the giant leap forward they had just accomplished. It appeared as though a new energy had overcome everyone and they were more determined than ever. Victor walked over to his daughter and placed a small kiss to her forehead, smiling when she hugged him tightly. This was the Prue he had wanted to see before she had died, he was just sad that it took her dying for both of them to realise that. He clasped Cole on the shoulder mumbling goodbyes in that 'manly' way of theirs. Pulling his grandchildren into a hug, Victor gave them words of encouragement and hope. Waving to the little devils still on cleaning duty, he shook his head in amusement as he headed down the long hallway. "Bye Grandpa!" Their loud, cheerful voices called after him as he shuffled down the cobblestone path, a skip in his step smiling joyfully. He arrived at his blue, 'already cared for' car, smirking at the reassuring sound of the old junker starting up he headed to his new job at the police station with a smile on his face.

As it turned out Darryl needed some part time help, so after four Victor organized files and helped one of Darryl's friends - Henry Mitchell - with the troubled teens. Victor had this special ability to annoy them with one of his impassioned speeches effectively pushing them towards Henry just to get them away from the loony old man and his optimistic rants.

The minute the front door closed and Victor's car pulled out of the driveway, the door on the stars flew open. Prue and Cole immediately orbed out their brilliant purple lights causing Wyatt to squeal in delight. Melinda grabbed Wyatt and held him in case it was not an ally walking through the door. Her projection began working immediately and Peyton watched as her aunt's plaited chocolate hair was swept into a blonde bun and her eyes turned a daring silver that displayed a fierce protectiveness towards the boy in her arms. Peyton and Parker began scrubbing furiously as they attempted to clean the roof before Piper walked in.

"Uh Chris?" Paige's voice was uncertain and Chris was instantly worried, Melinda clutched her baby brother closer to her chest recognizing that something was seriously wrong by their Aunt's tone. Chris came into view and Leo immediately rushed past him to search for Wyatt. His eyes - eyes so similar to Chris' - scanned the room seeking out any threats regardless of the fact that they would have had to run past him to get in anyway. Chris' own eyes grew as he took in his mothers still moving head, her ever-present scowl even deeper than usual. Her head without a body.

Paige continued walking and Chris mutely followed her back to the conservatory. The window's mosaic glass reflecting the light causing an array of colours to reflect off Piper's head in a disturbingly beautiful mirage. Paige placed Piper's head down on a cabinet before turning around to see Chris looked at them wearily, though beneath that was a hint of absolute wonder. This was one thing he definitely didn't need to see and one thing he _never_ wanted his kids to see because how does one get the image of their beheaded grandmother's talking head out of their mind.

After some strategic talking - well arguing, in which Piper reluctantly agreed that since she was out of the game, Chris was to fill in. With the battle plan set everyone prepared to embark when suddenly all talk cut off as Piper exclaimed "Uh-oh. Phoebe." Chris cursed as he realised that his sometimes airy aunt may in serious trouble - not realising what was going on outside of whatever self-finding mission she was in the midst of - fifteen years later hadn't changed Phoebe and he doubted any amount of time ever would but he wouldn't have her any other way. Restlessly realising he was unaware of where his aunt was at this point in time Chris began shifting his weight from foot to foot his nerves growing exponentially as he worried he may have done something to jeopardize Phoebe's life , however he stopped just as quickly as he had begun once he noticed Paige had caught onto his little habit - not wanting to worry any of them unnecessarily he reorganized his body into a nonchalant stance. Scowling at himself he realised Paige had been the first one to catch onto his mood affected twitches in the future too.

"I'll go get her." Leo offered as he was struggling with the sight of his (ex-)wife without her body, his eyes alight with indecision constantly switching between watching the door and watching Piper.

Piper scoffed at the suggestion and nodded towards Chris. He immediately tensed knowing he was not going to like what came out of her mouth next. "No. I do not want Wyatt to have two headless parents. Send Chris." Sure enough he scowled at the way they figured he was disposable enough to send off to battle a headless horseman. Glancing up in annoyance he was grateful when Melinda touched his arm reassuringly, he knew she understood the undertone of what was being said, she always understood. He felt her strength flow through to him and knew that he had to do this, he'd been willing to risk his life for this mission from the start, why not risk it for something that may result with him being in The Sister's good books.

Leo walked towards the pair still eyeing them with suspicion. They seemed too close, there was a bond there that he was itching to pick apart, but as if she had heard his thoughts, Jade shot him a reproachful look, her cold silver eyes piercing through to his soul making him unintentionally shiver. Chris patted her hand soothingly remembering the extent to which Leo had gone to in order to understand the unnatural bond of his youngest two children - a bond that unbeknownst to most excluded the almighty 'Twice-Blessed'. And the idea that there was something in world that Wyatt couldn't be a part of, was too much for the Leo leading to indescribable immoral actions.

Paige had moved to grab some of the leftover spaghetti that was sitting invitingly on the table, her long legs draped over the edge of the chair reminding Chris of a petulant teenager. Seated on one of the comfy oak chair's she sighed in appreciation as she prepared her food. Once she had taken bite Paige couldn't help the moan that involuntarily escaped and Chris smiled at her gently. His eyes kind and inquisitive - relaying that he was open to constructive criticism. Paige stared back once again shocked by his openness when everything about him usually screamed secretive and neurotic.

Leo stretched his arms out to take Wyatt and Melinda fought all her natural responses telling her to flinch away from Leo and take Wyatt with her. Her will to escape Leo was nearly all consuming and it was taking all her strength to defy it. However it appeared that her magic was feeding on her emotions as opposed to listening to her mind. An invisible shield formed around them and grew stronger with every step Leo took. Piper gasped as she watched Leo fly backwards as he hit the undetectable protective bubble. Chris muffled a laugh as he looked at the man who was currently crumpled on the ground, his hair standing on end and his clothes smoking slightly. He'd forgotten how much of a punch Melinda packed when it came to Leo.

"What the hell is going on?" Leo was livid and looking at Melinda with a cold, piercing stare. Chris immediately stepped into the middle breaking the gaze and redirecting Leo's rage to him.

"Wait, I can explain." Chris tried to reason with Leo as he took Wyatt from Mel and slowly pushed his sister back to the couch were her shield would only protect herself. Leo snatched Wyatt from Chris and glared at him because as usual this was all his fault. Chris' fingers ached and he fought off the magical build up, desperately wanting Leo to be injured enough that he remained unconscious for enough time allowing both Mel and himself to recuperate after this recent bought of 'fun memories from the days gone by' courtesy of Leo Wyatt.

"Are you okay, buddy?" Chris, Melinda and Paige all rolled their eyes at Leo's exaggerated words. His annoying overprotecting manner that only seemed to kick in when Wyatt was in little to no danger. The little boy squirmed restlessly, moving in protest wanting to get back to Melinda's arms - it was the place he felt safest and for some reason he was feeling strong angry things regarding his father.

"What was she doing?" Paige asked genuinely curious as she looked at the girl in front of her, who appeared to still be eyeing Leo wearily. Her blonde hair was falling out of the bun and fluttered around her face and her fringe flew in front of her hauntingly silver eyes yet they did not move from Leo's form. It was almost as if she sensed him as a threat at the moment.

"Nothing. I mean, nothing bad, I swear." Chris tried to explain as Mel nodded. Chris' hand hovered protectively over his sister, his body still placed in between the two willing to take anything that he directed at Mel. She was after all his little sister and no one hurt her and got away with it.

Paige noticed his emerald eyes had gone hard, cold jade and any emotional response they could have achieved was now gone. Her eyes narrowed in on his hand as she quickly realised that he was taking calming breaths and that small sparks were dancing across his fingertips, it seemed that while he was still in control, his powers were unintentionally showing he was not the emotionless robot he liked to let the others think. Paige shifted in her seat and she noticed Chris' eyes immediately cut to her and back so quickly it had seemed a result of pure instinct as opposed to a conscious move. It was similar to the fact that he was now almost on top of Jade, his entire body covering her form even though there was no reason to fear Piper and Leo _that_ much and Paige began to wonder how he had gained such protective instincts especially since she didn't think was that protective over her and her sisters and he was _their_ Whitelighter. But as it crossed her mind she quickly thought back on their time together and the number of times Chris had taken the hit literately and figuratively both for and _from_ them, how had attacked unknown foes for them and the number of enemies they probably didn't know about that he had no doubt taken care of. And he did all that while suffering their physical and verbal abuse. The shuddering realisation caused Paige's stomach dropped and she pushed the plate away - only slightly as to not offend Chris - but she couldn't eat when the guilt was eating away at her.

"_**Nothing bad?**_ Leo just went flying across the room." Piper's accusing voice caused Chris to shudder but as he followed her gaze to Leo before looking Piper in the eyes he knew anyone could see the love that was directed only towards Leo. Silently Chris thanked anyone who happened to be listening to his thoughts, there was hope for his conception after all. All he had to do was get them to act on their love and bada bing, bada boom he should survive. 'That should be easy' he sarcastic thoughts caused him to fight the urge to chuckle but he felt Melinda's fear seeping into him and focused on the chaos he was hoping to prevent.

Ensuring his survival had to be put on the back burner while he dealt with their questions and at the same time Melinda didn't get hurt. Mel's hateful glare melted instantly when she looked to Piper, Chris was instantly at her side when he noticed the tears forming - he had been on the receiving end of Piper's comments for months now and even then it broke him sometimes but Mel - she only had good memories of their mother and very few ones at that and Chris refused to let their stubbornness destroy that now. "She didn't mean to hurt him, I swear. Wyatt's shield wasn't even up around her." He defended though his statement lacked the usual iciness they were used to.

Paige nodded profusely she believed the young Whitelighter, his eyes were begging - even his tone was imploring them to believe him. Besides there was time for this later at the moment they had to deal with a crazy headless horseman. She looked over to Leo and Piper hoping they had come to the same time sensitive conclusion as she had.

"I trusted you, I vouched for you." Everyone in the room snorted at that. Leo trust Chris. Even a stranger would be able to pick up on the hate that enveloped those two. Chris fought the urge to start laughing uncontrollably at the thought of Leo trusting him, yet he restrained knowing it would in no way help his cause.

"Look, just let me explain." Chris tried again as he glanced at Mel, only to see her retreating into herself - memories of a future Leo, how the only time he acknowledged Chris existence it ended in violence and it always seemed to be her doing - it seemed like it didn't matter what time she was in or how old she was in she would never not be able to get her brother in trouble.

Seeing where her thoughts had taken her, Chris sucked in a sharp breath. If he couldn't get her out of this soon it would be too late. Just after their mother's death was the first time this had happened and it had taken both Wyatt and himself to pull her away from her mind and that was after a few weeks of constant trying. Chris held onto her shoulders and looked her in the eyes as he fought to keep her present. "Jade! Listen to me, you're not there, okay. Jade. Focus on me." Chris could see it was working slightly but as she whimpered he knew the memories were taking over. "Focus! I'm right here." Chris ran a hand through his hair knowing what he had to do. He placed his hand on her shoulder again and added more pressure. She could feel Chris' feeling of remorse flowing through the bond but it wasn't enough, the sharp sting of his nails digging into her skin finally broke through and gave her the strength to fight off the cold and return to him. But as she continued to wade through the darkness it would just create more, the small beacon of light she had glimpsed was drifting further and further away with each breath.

All Paige could see was a hollow look in the poor girl's eyes as she shook her head soundlessly mouthing apologies. Paige heard Chris' second intake of breath and knew he was going to do something he shouldn't. Sure enough the resounding smack as his hand made contact with her cheek was enough to have Paige jumping out of her seat, yet Chris simply readjusted his body to protect Jade and himself from both Paige and Leo. "Come on, snap out of it!"

Melinda's eyelids blinked in quick succession and her hand gently lifted to her cheek. Feeling Chris' own hand still there she clutched it tightly knowing he was beating himself up against having to resort to violence she'd heard Wyatt's taunting rants whenever he was torturing Chris and she knew that Chris was now comparing himself to their tyrant older brother. "Thanks." Melinda's voice was raspy and a tear escaped her flooded eyes. The room was spinning slightly as she reassessed her position, from pure instinct she pressed closer to her brother and wrapped her arms around his left arm leaving his other hand still cradling her cheek, breathing deeply she focused on his steady pulse beating under her finger tips as she fought to contain full control and balance.

"Get out of here." Leo's voice was not raised but his tone was cold and threatening. He was redefining the term if looks could kill. Wyatt squirmed in his grasp wanting to get back to his brother, his cries of protest being ignored by all occupants except for Chris who quickly sent a look to the little boy. His eyes relaying a message that words would never convey. Wyatt was instantly still, understanding now was not the time to make a fuss.

"Paige, please." As Chris looked at her Paige once again felt like she had let him down, her feet were glued to the floor unable to get the image of him hitting the girl who was now clinging to him as if her life depended on it out of her mind. Though she wanted to rid the feeling of guilt that was currently synonymous with Chris' name it was taking a while to process and as she opened her mouth to fight for him Leo responded.

"Now!" Leo's fists were clenched, turning an unnatural shade of white. Chris really didn't want to be on the receiving end of the lightening again - he knew the sheer agony that Leo had unleashed on him when he was in control but with his fluctuating emotions, Chris wouldn't be able to fight without risking the lives of many in the room. But most importantly he was not going to fight when he was acutely aware that Peyton and Parker were watching everything. Their eyes bore into the back of his head, willing him to acknowledge them. Chris fought off the need to check on his kids knowing Leo would only harm them if he knew they were there at least while Chris was still in his presence. 'He never had been good with misdirected anger' Chris thought ruefully. He sat Melinda down in the armchair looking her in the eyes one last time the message ringing loud and clear _'stay here'_.

Chris looked around the room and shook his head dejectedly, he quickly orbed out determination coursing through him. He had to find Phoebe - they needed their sister and now was not the time for his emotions to get in the way of helping the Charmed Ones. As the sound of his orbs disappeared the room was eerily silent.

"Cwis!" Wyatt's cry both broke the tension and created more of it. Though the subject matter had his parents and aunt looking at him shocked it only caused Paige more guilt. Wyatt sent a cold look to his father - that seemed entirely out of place on his baby face - and squirmed in Leo's arms, but when it became clear that his father was not going to let him go, he orbed to Mel and cuddled into her. His blonde head resting happily against her chest. His small fist bunched into her shirt wanting to help her after all the yelling.

"Hey, hey, Wyatt your okay, I'm okay too. Why don't you go to sleep now so your mummy doesn't have to worry about you at the moment." Piper watched stunned as once again Wyatt listened to these strangers better than her and his eyes fluttered shut. The inquisitive blue eyes hidden behind his eyelids.

Paige began slurping her pasta as her hunger returned - it also helped that it distracted her from her recent decision. Steadily ignoring the glares she received from a very pissed off Leo and a stressed Piper, Paige simply focused her mind solely on her Pasta waiting for them to calm. "Leo, can you go and get my students from Magic School." Her tone while calm was also harsh and she wanted Leo gone before she did something she would regret. He nodded dumbly and disappeared in a shower of orbs. Piper huffed wondering when her family had stopped listening to her and instead listened to Paige and basically strangers. She rolled her eyes and immediately noticed two children sitting upside down on her ceiling.

"Jade?" When Mel made a sound of acknowledgement, Piper continued. "Why are Nathan and Noah on my ceiling?" Piper like Chris was in that calm before the storm and Melinda fidgeted nervously. Her eyes were focused on the two little bodies who had stopped moving.

From above Peyton responded saving her aunt the trouble. "We're cleaning." Her voice was calm and betrayed none of her true feelings and as she nudged her brother they returned to the tedious task. Peyton had quickly realised that the process of creating the mess always seemed to be not only more fun but much faster than the cleaning up but for now it kept her away from the people who were constantly screaming at her dad.

Paige laughed at the serious tone that it was said with and asked her own question. "Why?" The thought that anyone would be voluntarily cleaning was beyond her. The only other person she knew who cleaned compulsively for no real reason was Piper and she still didn't understand that reasoning.

"Because we were skateboarding on the ceiling and now we have to clean up our mess." Parker chipped in. His eyes were glued to the ceiling unwilling to look at their questioners despite knowing the manners they were taught dictated such behavior as he knew that if he did he would react in a way that was not conductive to keeping their identity a secret and also would go against their dad's parting message to 'stay safe and not do anything stupid'.

"Uh-huh" Paige responded blankly not sure how to continue. Piper blew another piece of hair out of her face and turned to Jade who had just placed Wyatt in his pen and covered him with a blanket.

"Why were they skateboarding on my ceiling?" Piper's tone despite talking to the kids was still eerily similar to Chris' previous one so Melinda answered fast knowing what would happen if she delayed the inevitable.

"Something about one of Chris' rules being 'don't skate on the floor Piper will kill me' and they figured the ceiling was okay." Mel sighed sometimes which her niece and nephew's nick names were the little angels it would really make everything so much easier - less fun, but easier.

"Obviously it was a mistake so now we're being punished. But don't worry were nearly done and this was fairly light punishment since we thought of it ourselves." Parker continued loudly over Paige's laughter - laughter that had started the second Melinda stated Chris' rule and was still going.

Piper's glare shut Paige up and she returned to happily eating her lunch. "Man this is amazing, Chris should cook more often." Glancing over at her Mel smothered her laugh as she noticed her aunt's mouth was now covered in spaghetti sauce.

"He does." Peyton answered without thinking, the familiarity of boasting about her father's culinary skills overruling her mind for a moment. Flicking her hair slightly giving herself time to think she quickly amended the statement. "Just not for you." The anger behind her words were not at all hidden and Paige felt as though she had been stabbed in the gut. She moved the pasta around avoiding looking at the kid who had just reaffirmed the previous guilt. Luckily a distraction came when Leo ushered in Paige's students. The loud door was squeaking on it's hinges as they flow of students filled the room, instantly making Peyton and Parker aware that one of the people coming through the door most likely had something to do with the horseman and was willing to harm anyone in order to fulfill their task.

Piper watched as Jade bent down to Wyatt's ear and whispered 'Wyatt danger!' his blue shield was immediately up and Piper was surprisingly grateful for Chris and his friend. However she immediately pushed it aside as she processed her feelings. The idea of feeling anything good towards him resulted in a bitter taste on her tongue. _'Time to get to work.'_


	12. The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell Part 2

Chris orbed into Enola's familiar room - well cave really. Kneeling down he waited while Phoebe completed her vision quest. He took in the stone walls and the earthy smell and a fond smile formed on his face as he realised how much the room reflected her. Chris knew this was his only chance before Phoebe resurfaced and quickly turned to his old friend. "Enola I can't have her finding out who I am." Chris hated the pleading undercurrent of his words since he already knew what her answer was going to be - but he'd take a wounded pride over having his secret revealed anyday.

"Christopher, you already know I have no control over the visions, it depends on how badly Phoebe wants to see it and how much she wants to believe or look for." Chris nodded frustrated but he gave her a quick hug before he walked over to his aunt. Sitting beside Phoebe he pulled out some tape and fixed the knife wound that appeared on her shoulder, knowing that it would last until Leo could heal her. Sure enough the flowing blood slowly stopped and Phoebe seemed more relaxed.

"Chris?" Phoebe murmured as she was brought out of the vision, startled to find him patching up her shoulder. As she looked into his green eyes she could tell he was troubled but was not sure what it was about. She reached out and smoothed his hair down, not knowing why she had or what overcame her. He leaned in only to pull away even faster, she knew something was really wrong.

"What's wrong?" Phoebe didn't need her power as an empath to know something had changed considerably. And as she looked around the small cave like room that was acting as a small sanctuary for now, she knew it was only a matter of time until she had to leave.

"Nothing, it's just good to see at least you have your head, unlike Piper." At Phoebe's stunned silence he continued hoping to drag her out of here before she delved too far into the future.

"Yeah, the horseman got her. But, you know, she's doing pretty good considering the circumstances. A little grumpier than normal, but hey. Anyway, you really should get out of here before, as Paige has dubbed it 'you get chopped'." Chris ignored the scolding look he got from Enola for interfering but he knew even she understood that he had to try.

"I think I should stay here." Phoebe pouted slightly trying to convince him to let her stay. Her eyes ran over his face pleading with him to not make her leave.

"Okay, but remember that she's a suspect too." Chris turned to Enola and poked his tongue out childishly, she had babysat him a lot as a child so he knew more about her than most and knew she could give the elders a run for their money in terms of Pacifism, but at least she had character. Enola raised her plucked eyebrow in a perfect arch by means of dismissal, so Chris nodded reluctantly and orbed out. With that Phoebe quickly reentered the vision.

Enola looked around the room and sighed, she had seen what happened to Chris and it could play out one of two ways. Whoever's after Wyatt kills Chris as well or _hopefully,_ somehow they manage save Chris' life and Wyatt soul. "Please if anyone is listening, that boy has suffered too much, don't make this worse than it already is." Enola silently hoped that Phoebe would find out the truth at least then he'd have one of the sisters on his side, even if it only started because of familial obligation.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"What are you doing here?" Paige's voice was a hushed whisper as she noticed Chris in the hallway. Her heels clicked against the floor as she rushed out, she immediately realised he was without Phoebe and her worry increased 10 fold. She knew it had to be a fast meeting or else Piper or even worse Leo would absolutely lose it if they saw Chris.

Leo had orbed 'Up There' to see if they had any new leads on who might be conjuring the horseman, just in case it wasn't a child. He'd been up for a while so she knew they didn't have much time left.

"I need your help." Chris admitted grudgingly. His eyes were trained on the ground and his foot was scuffing the floor ever so slightly. Moving his eyes to the roof he noticed there were no more wheel marks and chuckled at the reminder of his kids hanging upside down. It was a rather funny turn of events, he was simply going to have them come up with a cleaning spell and then use the guilt to force them to do whatever he needed for the next week, but this punishment was even better than what he had thought of and at least this way it kept them out of trouble.

"My help?" Paige's voice was thick with disbelief. When Chris nodded, the gravity of the situation settled on her, Chris was _asking_ for help. Not ordering, not demanding, not shutting them out and keeping her in the dark, but asking. That in and of itself was enough to scare her more than the other options would have. She ran a hand through her hair in the way Chris often did and it made him sigh as he realised just how much the Charmed Ones must want to believe he didn't know them or they would have recalled half his slips ups and the similar mannerisms he used. "With what Chris?"

Chris nearly cried in joy. He could see his Aunt Paige so clearly in the younger version, especially when she was in her magic school robe. It was hard to keep them separated and even harder when all he wanted to do was hug her and tell her all his problems. "I'm running out of time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Paige's voice came out harder than she meant to and she inwardly cringed as she saw Chris' eyes become a little more guarded. His face became an emotionless mask and his stature was stiff, formal and distanced.

"Exactly that, Paige, listen to me. I need you to trust me. And I need you to get Piper and Leo to trust me too, before it's too late." Chris' ominous tone was apparently relevant as they heard the kids scream in the other room. Chris turned to leave before Paige even had time to process the newest information.

"The headless horseman!" A voice carried the three words to the hallway and it felt like a ton of lead had settled in Chris stomach, it only increased when he heard his mother's screams. Each shout pulling at his insides.

"Paige!" Paige and Chris ran into the conservatory, and Paige looked around trying to locate where the source of the commotion was. Unfortunately everyone was in complete panic and their was no remaining sign of the horseman.

"What happened?" Paige's question went unanswered as the horseman swung at her from behind. Chris leapt into action quickly pushed her out of the way, his shoulder taking a good hit and he cringed as he smelt the blood taint the air. His mind quickly sent him to the future and he pictured himself at just another battle site, the soldier mentality meant the pain quickly faded and he was good to go. "Is everyone alright?" He had unintentionally reverted back to leader mode and it was enough to get the kids attention and have them standing up straight recognizing not only his authority but the seriousness of what had just happened.

"I think so." Chris almost laughed at the conjurer. His unusual thought path and almost action immediately redirected his thoughts to wondering just how much blood he must have lost. And how is it that everyone seemed unaware of his bloodshed.

"Head count." A few snickers escaped before they were met with a glare. "No jokes, just do it." Piper said sharply before turning to Chris. Her eyes narrowing and she immediately thought of Leo. "What are you doing here?"

"Just trying to help." Chris shrugged casually and his shirt tightened over the wound. He winced as the skin pulled and split the gash further, his head becoming too light despite his forced concentration. His t-shirt was quickly changing colour and he was beginning to shiver - out of shock, blood loss or a sudden temperature drop he was not sure, but he was fairly certain it was not the last one.

"They're all here." Paige's voice sounded and the relief was palpable. Chris smiled goofily and was proud of himself for saving his aunt. The aunt who seems to attract danger like no one else. Well no one but Phoebe and man was he glad she wasn't here. Chris staggered slightly, his world began spinning. Hitting into something hard he was momentarily confused as to why everyone was horizontal before his foggy brain realised he was on the floor.

"Chris!" Melinda's concerned gasp had Paige turning to face her whitelighter and she was once again hit with guilt as she realised just how badly he was injured. Her red hair disappeared around the corner and Mel quickly prayed she had gone to the bathroom. Sure enough moments later she returned with a damp cloth, both were grateful when Piper didn't complain about the blood ruining it.

Chris seemed to have a different idea and sat up with the help of the wall. Using his telekinesis he grabbed the medical kit that was off to the side - left over from _Isabelle's_ visit. He methodically stitched his arm in a way almost identical to that of Isabelle and as Paige took a moment she decided she was _positive_ they were related. Chris used his teeth to sever the string and wrapped it securely in a bandage.

Piper watched as he trained his eyes down at the floor before letting out a breath of relief when there was no blood visible on the hardwood and instead it had simply stained his clothes. Chris shook his head and took a deep breath savoring the air hitting his lungs. Instantly his mind began to feel less clouded - by stumping the bleeding his body seemed to be functioning again, he could almost hear future Wyatt taunting him for his momentary brain malfunction. The cruel words fueled his determination, giving him the push to get up off his feet and move onto the next stage of his plan.

Piper was floored with a sense of shame as she realised he was not worried about his very real, very serious injury but blood on her floor. She was reminded of the way the two kids who were on her ceiling cleaning had also reacted because they too had been concerned about messing up her floor. She wasn't really that bad. Was she?

"I heard the alarm. What's this doing open?" Gideon stated as he walked out of the door, his robe flowing around him. Chris suppressed an eye roll as he glanced at the Elder. His haughty attitude translated into his walk - each step calculated, each word out of his mouth 'important' and complete bullshit.

"One of the students must have opened it without my seeing." Paige said in a tone that indicated she was feeling the same as Chris on the matter. And by the barely concealed smirk Chris had no doubt about the thoughts running through her mind.

"And the horseman?" Gideon looked around as if he would not have noticed a headless guy on a horse in the middle of the room.

"Gone. Out those doors." Chris pointed in the direction and hoped Gideon got the hint and followed the example the horseman set.

"You have to stop him." Alas Chris was wrong, he was going to do what all Elders to best - sit on their asses and send the lowly witches out to clean up their mess. Gideon moved in an arc around each of the students acting as if touching them would be contaminating his purity.

"Okay, well, we have to figure out..." Paige was rudely interrupted prompting her to send an annoyed glare at the Elder. At least when Chris interrupted her it was either important or to push her in the right direction.

"No, you don't understand. People in the outside aren't protected like we are at school. They'll die." Gideon's words seemed to trigger a memory in Chris though he couldn't fully remember it, Wyatt's words rang through his mind and it made him even more weary of Leo's mentor. _'Christopher, Melinda, you listen to me now. Every word out of his mouth is a lie - just like Leo's - always remember they are one and the same' _Chris was only a child but he always understood when his brother was deadly serious and that was one of the moments, it was also one of the first times Wyatt had called Leo by his name. Chris didn't think he had ever called Leo 'Dad' and he was certain Melinda never had. As far as they were concerned he was just the sperm donor, if anyone was the their Dad it would be Cole. Piper was always his mother, mum, mummy but in a way Prue had been even more than that - she knew him, she was a part of him and she would _never_ leave him. His cold eyes settled on the Elder and he instinctually turned his body to shield his sister, the maneuvering caused him to stretch the stitches on his shoulder slightly but the pain was nothing compared to the need he felt to get everyone he loved away from Gideon.

"Then we need Phoebe." Paige reluctantly acknowledged that they couldn't risk the innocents but she knew she couldn't do it by herself especially knowing she was already one sister down and she needed Phoebe by her side. Paige paced as she thought of a way to get Phoebe here, beat the horseman and find someone she trusted to take care of the kids - both Wyatt and her students - while she had no problem leaving Wyatt with Nathan and Noah under the care of Jade, she couldn't ask the girl to look after twenty teenagers. It seemed impossible.

"I'll get her." Chris quickly volunteered as he _really_ needed to know what Phoebe may have uncovered.

Paige nodded almost immediately but Chris was already gone, she sighed wishing she had not interrupted Chris by speaking a little harshly when he was finally being open with her. Running her hand through her hair she mulled over what Chris could have possibly needed her to do so desperately.

"But you can't wait for her. You have to go after the horseman now." Gideon's demanding made Paige was instantly weary - it didn't help that she already thought he was a whiny sloth. Gideon backed off noticing the look in Paige's eyes, the ferocity of it actually causing him to take a step backwards.

Paige allowed a small amount of her insecurity to take root in her brain and her mouth began mirroring her thoughts without her permission. "By myself? No. I can't vanquish him." Paige began stepping backwards, hoping to reach Piper in time for her to have her back. Unfortunately Gideon began speaking again halting her retreat to the conservatory.

"You don't have to. All you have to do is lead him back to the school, so that at least nobody will be killed. Don't make your concerns about Richard, make you question yourself. You can do this, I'll help you." Paige growled at him for mentioning her private life but accepted his hand outstretched hand anyway. Ignoring her doubts about Gideon's true intentions she allowed herself to be orbed away hoping this could give her the push she needed to have more confidence in her individual abilities again.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Paige and Gideon returned through the front door annoyed at the fact that while they had gotten the horseman back, he had still killed someone - regardless of the fact that the lowlife who had died wasn't even a true innocent. Her guilt over her indecisiveness and inability to act only irritated her so instead she focused on the aspect that was causing her the most confusion. "I don't understand why the horseman targeted him. And why did he pass up so many others along the way?" Paige was nearly shouting as she looked at the man beside her, he was being a stubborn bastard and shutting down magic school was not the way to win.

"Granted it could've been a lot worse but it doesn't change my mind." Gideon stated and Paige stared at him. Gideon held her eyes and smirked when she eventually looked away before meeting his face again with a triumphant look in her eyes, positive she had found a loop hole. It wasn't that Gideon didn't believe in magic school, it's simply that it took up too much of his time and he needed to figure out a way to get the Twice Blessed before it was too late.

"The police said he was a killer, Gideon." Her words were rough and demanding, they shouldn't all be punished because Gideon refused to see that one of his students was having a problem. If anyone should be punished it was Gideon for letting it escalate to summoning the Headless Horseman. Though Paige trued her hardest to convince herself that she wasn't a replacement for Prue, the others had commented once or twice that it was nice to see the same fiery spirit alight in her and it was that spirit that drove her to fight Gideon's pigheadedness and ensure those children got what they needed. And whether she knew it or not it was that same fight that resulted in her position at magic school in the future.

"It doesn't make it right." Paige couldn't contain her eye roll and began plotting a way to keep the school open. Her mind creating and rejecting knew ideas faster than she could possibly imagine but she wasn't about to criticize her muse's timing especially since this was such a serious matter.

"No, it doesn't make it right but you shouldn't shut down the school because of it. We have the horseman contained, now we just need to find-" Once again Paige was cut off by the man and she was growing tired of him not to mention agitated with his self-righteous attitude.

"It's too late. The damage has already been done. When I started this school I made a promise that the magic within would never harm a soul, otherwise..."

A toad croaked from the conservatory effectively cutting Gideon off and Paige sighed in relief. She rushed into the other room and though she was concerned as to how a toad ended up inside the manner - not so much the how it was their but mainly the why as she had no doubt Piper was behind the newest guest - she was thankful for the distraction as a small headache was beginning to form courtesy of Gideon.

"Piper, are you okay?" Paige's voice was hesitant as they moved forward. Her head peaked around the corner only enough to see the animal and her students gathered around it - oh how she hoped the toad was not a student.

"Hunky-dory." Came her sarcastic reply as she looked at Slick and smirked. The little brats will definitely think twice before crossing her or making her cross again.

Watching as Paige and Gideon walked into the kitchen Melinda picked up Wyatt and moved him up to his crib knowing there was no way he should be in the room if the horseman or person responsible turns up. He gurgled happily as they hurried up the stairs and Melinda turned on high alert prepared to defend incase an attack happened as a result of Wyatt's joyful gurgling. "Wyatt you need to be quiet for me. Can you do that?" Wyatt's silence greeted her and she ruffled his hair affectionately. "Good boy. You know, the you of my time would kill me if he knew I was doing this. But you are just too cute at this age to be a killer." Melinda resumed talking to her brother in annoying baby talk hoping somehow the news would get back to Wyatt in the future, man she wished she were able to see his tantrum over that one. Smirking at the thought she could almost visualize the chair thrown across the room, the smashed mirror, there was probably at least one piece of furniture on fire and he would have had target practice on the lowest ranking members of his guard.

_Sure enough twenty-odd years in the future Wyatt was seething as a new image of his younger sister coddling him formed in the seer's bowl. Unfortunately for him it only allowed him to see the events of the past when one of his younger siblings wanted him to. A problem he was working tirelessly to fix - well the seer was working to fix._

Piper waited patiently, happy that Jade had the good sense to move Wyatt. She said reversal spell and watched as the toad turned back into Slick. His eyes flicked around the room fearfully as his tongue darted out at a passing fly. Flinching in disgust he cast apologetic and anxious eyes upon the eldest Charmed One.

"Next time I give you warts." Piper warned and watched as the room froze. "Hey, who did that?" Peyton and Parker finally hovered down to the ground, needing to protect their grandmother. "Where did you come from?" The telepaths arm reached for Piper's head and grabbed her by the hair. Parker immediately moved his arm away and unfortunately he took Piper's head with the hand. Parker and Peyton tried to shield their minds but they felt him entering them, suddenly they were unable to use their magic against him. He warded the room, preventing them from leaving - well without exposing their true powers to not only their grandmother but the guy who may want to use their power. Their bodies fought back but the telepath immediately put a block on the movement centre of their brain effectively making them paraplegic, the only thing working was their voice. "Hey, hey, ow. Paige!" Piper's scream was soon followed by Peyton and Parker's own screams as they were swept away.

"Chris help! Jade! Paige! Help!" Their high pitched cries filled the air before everything went silent. Their pleas reaching Melinda one floor up who though reacting instantly, moved even faster when the quiet came.

By the time the Paige, Gideon and Leo ran into the room and Melinda made it downstairs they were gone. Looking around at each other Melinda was the one to say what they were all thinking. "Crap!"

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

Phoebe finally made it through the light and was amazed by what she saw. Wyatt's little brother looked so familiar yet she couldn't place it. She wrapped her arms around her bulging stomach protectively and smiled as Paige walked by in her teaching robe.

Suddenly the little boy was at her side shaking her shoulders. "Aunt Phoebe? We need your help.

"Phoebe, can you hear me? Enola I need her to wake up. Seriously Phoebe, we need your help." Slowly she came to and Chris sighed in relief. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I should be. Are you?" She asked gesturing to his shoulder where blood had begun to seep through the bandage. Chris smiled momentarily glad someone had noticed his injury but was growing worried about the continual bleeding, it would last for a while unless something went wrong.

"Yea-" His reply was cut off as he heard Parker and Peyton screaming for his help. After a moment it went silent - deadly silent. _'No!'_ Chris mentally screamed searching for his children but he kept coming up black. Phoebe watched as his pallor turned five shades lighter. Grabbing her hand he orbed them right back to the manor without even sparing a glance at Enola.

The Shaman watched concerned as Chris fled the room, she saw his aura twist in sheer terror and had to fight everything in her to not go after and assist him, but she knew he had to do this one on his own - at least for now.

"Oh, Phoebe, I'm so glad to see you, I was so worried. And we need your help." Paige's melancholy tone informed Phoebe of how bad things had gotten while she had been on her vision quest and she silently cursed herself for not going with Chris the first time. The only consolation she had was the glimpse of her future nephew.

While stressed Paige was determined to make sure her older sister was okay, yet as Paige let her eyes drift to their Whitelighter she immediately took a few steps back, she didn't need to be an empath to know he was angry. No more like furious.

"How's Piper?" Phoebe asked instantly concerned for her family.

"You're not gonna like it." Paige said looking mainly at Chris, he didn't even seem to be listening. But his attention was immediately refocused when Jade spoke, her voice apologetic yet firm almost as if she was determined not to go into a panic.

"They've been kidnapped." Mel looked close to tears and didn't know what to do, she couldn't sense them and she didn't know how to get into contact with Cole or Prue to see what they knew.

"What?" Both Chris and Phoebe yelled. Paige noticed that Chris' seemed more relieved than worried as if he had expected worse. His eyes were somewhat lighter and he seemed to be more determined than Phoebe who was pacing up and down trying to figure out a solution. Her hair was already a mess and standing on end but Paige continued running her hand through it hoping to alleviate some of her worry.

"That's the bad news. The good news is that they're here, somewhere." Paige said attempting to get them to look on the bright side.

"Well, if one of the students took her, I can't sense which one it is." Gideon stated uselessly. _'Of course you can't'_ Chris thought ruefully remembering Wyatt's words and glaring hatefully at the Elder.

"_Daddy?" _Chris nearly laughed when he heard Peyton's voice in his head. _"Baby Girl who took you?" _Chris was ready to beat the kid, he knew it was one of them and was worried about Parker since he could only hear Peyton. _"It was the telepath - Zachary. Please Daddy hurry!" _

Melinda noticed that Chris had zoned out and realised that he must have been talking to one of his kids. She only hoped they were both okay and knew where Piper was - she really needed a win right now.

Suddenly he clenched his fists and refused to even take a breath. He moved past all the frozen kids till the last one. "Where the hell are they?" Chris accented his threat by pushing the kid against the wall. The others rushed forward, trying to talk some sense into the psychotic whitelighter.

"Well, look who just solved the case." Zac said condescendingly, his eyes sparkling with an unkind gleam, yet Chris noticed there was an almost apologetic look in them as well.

"Zachary?" Gideon's surprise was palpable and Chris would have smirked alongside Zac if the teenager hadn't taken his kids. Chris smacked him against the wall again to redirect his attention.

However all it accomplished was a sarcastic "Surprise" directed at Gideon before Zac disappeared. Both Chris and Melinda recognized it as Parker's astral projection, only a weaker form of it. Meaning Parker must of been unconscious wherever he is, but at least the demonstration of his power meant both his children were alive. Forcing down memories of the last time they had been kidnapped and what Wyatt had done - starting with the brand, he focused on locating them again.

"What happened? Where'd he go?" Paige questioned, her tone accusing as she looked at Chris as if he was the mastermind behind the whole thing.

"That wasn't Zac, that was an astral projection." Chris responded through gritted teeth, he increased his will to sense for them and once he found his link he grabbed Melinda's hand and they orbed off before the others even opened their mouths - leaving them in a room of frozen teenagers waiting until Piper's power thawed.

Once they reappeared inside magic school Cole and Prue were at their sides. Both were dressed in the black hooded robes just in case they ran into some students who recognized them or God forbid the sisters. "He has them in a room we can't get into, we followed him all the way. Maybe you'll be able to get inside." Cole stated fury ringing through his voice.

The idea that one of the students in here though it was wise to kidnap his niece and nephew had him fuming. Aside from that they really didn't have time to do the sister's job for them. Prue was following a lead on Wyatt - a lead that may finally turn into something solid. While Cole was tracking down the demon who killed their daughter.

_Persephone. Her birth was as mysterious as Cole's resurrection. Obviously they understood the birds and the bees, but to the best of their ability they had no other ideas other than the theory that Chris could see how badly his guardians wanted a child of their own and willed it to happen. Chris had never once worried about competing for their love as he had understood that there was always more ready to be shared. Within 24 hours Prue had conceived, carried and given birth to Persephone Isabelle Christina Halliwell. And the rest was history._

They orbed just outside a black door about 200 doors along. Melinda placed her hand on the door and was thrown back, Chris despite all odds tried and cursed when he too was repelled. He began throwing lightning at the door in rapid succession trying to overpower the circuit. Screaming curses when it didn't work.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"You don't think he'll kill her, do you?" Paige asked wearily she really didn't believe he would risk the wrath of the Charmed Ones but one could never be too cautious. There shoes echoed in the quiet hall and Paige wondered how it was possible they ever managed to surprise demon's perhaps Chris had the right idea with them dressing sensibly.

"You know what? I have no idea." Phoebe had no words of wisdom or hope to give her little sister and simply prayed they made it out with their heads on. She touched her neck gently barely believing it was possible to survive without it connecting her head and body.

"He's a smart kid. I just hope he's not luring us here." Paige spoke to soon as the minute the words left her mouth, the horseman appeared and they 'got chopped'. Their heads rolled to the side as the horseman disappeared. Instantly they were teleported to the desk next to Piper and they focused on what to do now. Piper looked across at her sisters and rolled her eyes.

"Mm-hm." She muttered not too impressed at how the plan had gone so far. Her brown eyes scouted for exists until she heard shuffling from a door to the left and directed her eyes there.

Zac walked in with Noah and Nathan in tow. They were fighting him but it appeared they were being held back by magic."You made me do this, you know. I didn't have a choice." Zac said to the sisters. He appeared rather worn and Paige momentarily wished she knew what was causing him to do this.

Turning to the kids he began again. "I really didn't want to take you from your family, but you would have gotten in the way." The sisters were focused on escaping and missed the second part of Zac's speech. Paige watched as both kids closed their eyes momentarily and stopped fighting. She wanted to scream at them to not give in but it appeared they had a plan.

Peyton felt Zac's telekinetic hold loosen and smirked at how he had underestimated them. Moving instantly they began to attack. They were prepared to fight without magic but they did not have the strength required to push against a telekinetic hold.

Phoebe watched transfixed by the moves of the two kids. It appeared that they had no magic so they were relying on hand to hand combat. Nathan's elbow hit at just the right angle to wind Zac, while the heel of Noah's palm struck upwards and shattered the kid's nose.

They had known from the minute they were taken from the room and through a passage way that this was not the real Zac. That he had managed to learn how Parker's astral projection worked and he was using it to his advantage, unfortunately while the damage they were inflicting would not harm the real Zac physically he will still feel the pain as if it was himself. Sure enough as Peyton aimed her foot at his trachea and jumped, with a kick so hard that she damaged his vocal chords, Zac's power on their minds weakened. Both grabbed their heads and screwed their eyes shut as they forced him out of their minds.

"Get Out!" Their combined screamed as the fought for control of their own minds shook the room. Clutching hands they channeled their powers and relaxed until the magic flowed freely banishing Zac from their minds.

The Charmed Ones watched as the image of Zachary fluttered and finally disappeared. Peyton sighed relieved when she noticed he was gone and was sure that he was no longer in her own or Parker's head. Paige clicked her tongue and muttered angrily about another astral projection.

Chris sprinted round the corner as he finally got past Zac's magical barrier. His faced was flushed and sweat lined his brow, however his arm was mainly healed. Peyton looked at him and understood that he had moved during Prue's healing process in his rush to get to them once they had managed to access the door. It appeared that all that remained was a small cut that would only bleed in extreme circumstances.

"Oh thank God." The sisters were momentarily stunned at his outburst. He routinely sent them on demon hunts so why would he care now. Paige was the first one to realise he wasn't talking to them.

Phoebe watched as Chris' arms wrapped around Nathan and Noah protectively, checking them over in the way she remembered Prue doing when they were little. Piper noticed as he pointed to two figures in long hooded black cloaks. Seeing the image Phoebe instantly remembered her thoughts about Cole and tried to focus on not voicing them, now was not the time.

Once the kids were securely held by a figure each they grabbed hands and disappeared in a shower of purple.

"Jade I need you to go back and check on Wyatt make sure nothing has happened to him." Melinda nodded looking pointedly at Chris and his arm before he sent her away in a flurry of lights.

Chris turned back to the sisters. They were all staring at him with a mix of weird expressions on their faces.

"So, now what are you guys gonna do?" Chris' voice was filled with mocking as he arched an eyebrow.

He was not giving them an out they realised, they had rejected his help time and time again and this was the price they paid. Paige had no doubt that if they were in life threatening danger Chris wouldn't hesitate to ask but this was something he figured they needed to do.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

After a lot of arguing Chris finally got them to focus on one plan and he sent a quick plea hoping that this worked. The Horseman appeared just as expected and they quickly responded. "Power of three unite, to end this grisly fright, reverse the rolls and make us whole."

Finally they were reattached to their bodies, Piper had disappeared as her body was elsewhere and Chris quickly sensed to see that she was okay.

"Oh, thank God, it worked." Paige mumbled, she quickly watched as Phoebe patted her body affectionately. "You want me to get you a room?" Chris chuckled quietly, his aunt's humor instantly reminding him of home and he felt some of his earlier anger towards her disappear.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go." Piper's commanding voice flowed down the hall and they all grabbed onto Chris as he orbed back to the manor.

The scene they orbed in on was a troubling one, Gideon was lying on the floor with a dagger levitating in front of his neck. Zac's arm was outstretched and he was debating what to do now.

"Why take it out on others, Zachary? Why not just come after me?" Gideon asked to delay time. He swallowed and tried to back away from the dagger but was trapped between the coffee table and the sharp weapon.

"Because I want you to suffer, Gideon. Like you made me suffer ever since I got here. I want you to see your precious school destroyed. Bit by bit." Zac chuckled darkly as he thought of exactly what this 'good place' had taken from him.

"But that doesn't give you the right to kill an innocent." Gideon shouted. Zac backed up a bit before his eyes hardened again. His hand twitched and the dagger moved threateningly.

"You scolding me now? You gonna give me a demerit? That wasn't supposed to happen. I just wanted The Sisters out of the way. The Horseman's only supposed to hurt evil." Zac voice wavered momentarily as he recalled the moment he realised his creation had killed a human, though that was quickly relieved as he remembered Paige's echoing statement about the man being a killer himself.

"Evil? You think teachers are evil?" Gideon couldn't believe what he was hearing, especially from one of his favourite students.

"They are when they keep me here against my wishes. They take me away from my family, my home, without even thinking about what I want." Zac was right, Chris strongly agreed with what he was saying, he was just though the kid was going about it the wrong way. Attacking others was not the way to gain freedom.

"Why didn't you come to me?" Chris snarled at Gideon as he thought of what he himself had done to try and get someone, anyone to notice he didn't want to be at magic school.

"I did, damn it! Every time I snuck out, every time I got in trouble. But you didn't care, you wouldn't listen." Zac shouted, his hand moved forward to strike Gideon but Chris stopped the knife in it's path, he wouldn't allow this kid to live with the guilt of - another - murder.

"I'm listening." Chris walked in followed by Piper, Phoebe and Paige. "It's okay, they're not gonna hurt you."

"We're here to help." Phoebe chimed in. She smiled hoping to reassure him, but Zac simply saw through her act and sent her away with a wave of his hand. Chris redirected her path and had her land easily on the couch.

"How'd you get out?" Gideon wondered.

"Magic." Piper answered complete with eye roll, at least she got her explanation as to why her husband was so dense sometimes. With a mentor like Gideon it was a miracle Leo ever connected the dots.

"I didn't mean to hurt them or even take them. I didn't want to take them away from you but I wanted to go home to my family and this was the only way." Zac explained his eyes never leaving Chris'.

"I know Zac, I did something similar as well when I was a little younger than you and nobody noticed either. But this..." Chris gestured around. "This is not going to end well, for anyone." Zac nodded and lowered his hand, Chris noticed that dagger still wasn't moving and realised he himseld was apparently not very forgiving of Gideon either.

Paige was the first one to realise what was happening. She walked up to Chris careful not to touch him in case he reacted out of instinct. "Chris." She waved her hand in front of his face trying to get him to focus. However she quickly noticed that he _was_ focused on her, his hand was not raised and he was not making any gestures. It appeared his magic was working of it's own accord acting off his subconscious desire.

"Chris!" Melinda called as she raced down the stairs, Wyatt was attached to her and joined her calls, "Cwis!" Melinda knew something was wrong, she could feel it to, she didn't trust Gideon, as they grew closer and Wyatt brought his shield up it became obvious Wyatt didn't trust him either. For all 3 kids to react like that, Melinda knew Gideon had something to do with Wyatt's turning, however with no proof and no justification she couldn't let Chris do it. "Chris, just let it go. That's it. Easy." Melinda's soothing voice seemed to counteract his magic even as Melinda fought to control her own, her mirroring feeling regarding Gideon easily had the potential to finish the Elder off.

The dagger fell to the floor while Piper and Phoebe kneel beside Gideon to help him up. He brushed at his robe pretentiously, flicking invisible dirt off. Chris knew his mother was near OCD and there was no way she would let dust collect on her floor so Gideon's theatrics were just that.

"You okay?" Phoebe asked him seeing as all the others seemed to be ignoring the groaning elser. Gideon smoothed out his coat once more when he was standing, jerking his arm away from Phoebe's grasp. Phoebe recoiled from the hostility the Elder had used when previously he had been nothing but nice to them so far.

"Yes. I just guess I've been more invisible than I realised over the years." Gideon's statement was met with a harsh look from Zachary at the fact that he still allowed his own self-importance to take over at a time like this. Melinda, Chris and Paige all turned to Zac determined to get him what he needed - be it another chance at magic school, a life with his parents or something completely different.

Wyatt orbed to his mother sensing it was time for his brother and sister to leave. Giving the small boy a thankful smile, Chris placed a hand on Phoebe and Mel, who in turn grabbed Zac, orbing them from the manor.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"Hey, guys. Wasn't Ziggy Marley supposed to play here before?" Paige asked as she walked up to her sisters. Her clothes appropriate for the club but seemed to lack the usual flirty edge. Sliding onto the stool at the bar she sat down with a little more slouch than usual showing how much the day's events had taken its toll on her.

"Yeah, he had to reschedule." Piper waved a hand dismissively as she moved on to the topic of her real curiosity. "So how's Zachary?" Her worry about the boy shone through as she understood where he was coming from especially when the thought of being removed from her family made her skin crawl. But then again, Gideon was an Elder and with the exception of Leo she made it her job to spite them. So she may be a little bias.

Paige had a slight smile on her face as she thought back to the boy she had left moments ago. The boy who was already completely different to the one who had tried to attack them hours ago. "He's good. He's at home with his family now, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him back at Magic School someday. I think he..." Paige shook her head and cleared her thoughts before starting again knowing she had to get this part right or else Piper would have her head. "I think he heard what Chris was saying and he got him to understand the idea of accepting himself as a witch." Though Chris had kicked her out of the room so she was unable to overhear what they were talking about he had seen the confident happy smile that had overcome Zac as a result of whatever their ever confusing Whitelighter had said.

Phoebe emphatically informed them of what she had seen in her vision - with one major omission - but when she spotted Chris walking in before heading to the back room, her story immediately fell short knowing she had to do this now or never. Her mind ran over the previous few months knowing that there was something else she had intended to ask Chris, but her excitement over her newest nephew trumped whatever the old query was.

"I'm just saying." Phoebe muttered matter-of-factly as she got up to walk away. Her heels clicked as she weaved through the bodies on the dance floor, her own swaying to the beat making it easier to pass. She felt rejuvenated by the time she reached the end and spared a second to reflect on how she loved the energy she got just from being at the club.

"What are you _just_ saying?" Piper called after Phoebe as she continued walking towards the back. "Excuse me!" Piper huffed giving up with a somewhat annoyed smile before letting go of her aggravation towards Phoebe's need to never truly finish a story. Piper fixed her hair as she watched Paige ordered them both a drink from the flirty bartender with the gorgeous eyes.

Chris opened the door and walked in knowing Phoebe was following him and that there was no way to get out of it. Besides he needed to know what she saw. He pulled at his shirt nervously making sure to hide his brand from his inquisitive and perceptive aunt, because if she truly knew who he was she would easily be able to spot the brand.

The back room door didn't get a chance to closer properly as Phoebe put her hand in the way to ensure it stayed open. Her eyes ran over him checking to make sure he had no life threatening injuries before nodding in acceptance. His shirt was a clean crisp blue that made his eyes stand out more and his shoulder seemed healed so she knew now was as good a time as any to talk to him. Especially since she hadn't talked herself out of it yet.

"Hey." Phoebe's soft voice caused the hair's on Chris' neck to stand up, knowing she only spoke like that when she was about to drop a bombshell. Rubbing the back of his neck he gave in to the urge to flee not wanting to be trapped and forced to listen to how she was disappointed in him or even worse how sorry she was and how much she loved him. Chris knew ultimately his family would feel unbearable guilt for what they put him through and how much distrust they showed him. But even though it hurt him he knew they were simply doing what he had been raised to do - _**protect**__**their own**_.

"Hey. I'll be out of your hair in a minute, I just have to grab something." Chris picked up three heavy books and began to walk past Phoebe determined to get out of the room as quickly as possible and he knew that if he robed it would only fuel her need to seek him out so he was going by the next best strategy - seem busy. Unfortunately for him she placed her small, warm but strong hand on his arm and held him back.

Phoebe tried to ignore the way he stiffened and flinched away from her touch as if it burned him and she figured after the way they had treated him he had every right to respond in expectance of pain. Pushing her observation away for now she frowned as she realized her entire hand could circle his wrist with no problem, once again she shook her head and refocused on what she had to ask him.

"Please wait, I came here to ask you a question." Phoebe's voice was pleading as she tried to get Chris to listen to her. Her eyes were wide and vulnerable and she put just the right amount of a lip quiver in to resemble his aunt and he was putty in her hands. Though most of the time Chris loved his mother he was ready to kill her for teaching him to respect his aunts and help them when they needed it. It was always his Kryptonite and often how Wyatt punished him.

Chris looked at his aunt and noticed that though she was excited she hadn't spilt the secret yet leading to his growing confusion on whether she knew the truth or not. "What?" His voice wavered slightly as his mind mulled over what he was most fearful of - that she knew who he was or that even after everything she was still in the dark.

"I need you to be honest with me. No games, no running away, just the truth." Phoebe noticed him swallow heavily but nod. Phoebe took a breath to steel herself not quite sure that he was going to agree and preparing to ague her case - complete with the threat of telling Piper what she knew.

"Okay." Chris stated as he prepared for it to be over. A small part of him was glad as at least this way someone would actually believe him when he said he was here to save Wyatt not kill him.

"Are you after Wyatt's little brother?" Chris burst out laughing as he looked at his aunt. His amusement at the question had Phoebe huffing in annoyance, how could he be laughing at a time like this. Sure he might not be out to kill Wyatt but the same cant be said about his younger brother.

"What? No he was awesome. I loved him like a brother, he always took care of me." Chris' words though shining with sincerity were still tinged with barely contained amusement as he looked at Phoebe. "Why would you possibly think that?" Another chuckle escaped his mouth at the statement rang through his head again. He momentarily thought that his over zealous response may be a result of disappointment he felt for getting his hopes up even though there was a chance that Phoebe uncovering his identity would ruin everything.

Phoebe scowled as she waited for a break in Chris' laughter, she really didn't see why it was such a laughable matter. "Because based on the vision he was only a year or two younger than Wyatt. And _you_ broke Piper and Leo up." She watched the remnants of laughter disappear completely from his eyes as she placed emphasis on him she thought there was a trace of worry in there but quickly dismissed it. More than likely it was fear to do with Phoebe knowing more than she should.

"That was accidental, they survived his _promotion_ in my timeline. The little boy you saw will exist only if I can get Piper and Leo back together in time and I need all the help I can get." Phoebe nodded excitedly at the idea of having another nephew. Not to mention the joy she found in playing matchmaker.

"Great we start tomorrow bright and early!" With that Phoebe turned around leaving her actual nephew with a look of disbelief on his face. Shaking his head as he remembered all the warnings and experiences he had with his own Aunt Phoebe when it came to schemes - but desperate times call from desperate measures.

Cole appeared from the dark corner and clasped Chris on the shoulder. "There's no getting out of it, at least you get to live now." He chuckled maniacally as Chris orbed them back to Victor's. It was Wednesday night and Cole couldn't wait to inform Grams of Phoebe's newest theory, it would definitely give her something to think about. Not to mention the growing amusement even Chris still felt at the unexpected turns of events. Unfortunately Phoebe was really not looking for he identity of her nephew or she would have easily deduced who Chris was.


	13. I Dream of Phoebe Part 1

"Phoebe, I need your help." Chris had finally swallowed his pride and responded to her calls knowing he was running out of ways to get his parents together and his meddlesome romantic aunt may be the solution to his problems.

Looking around the spacious office in the Bay Mirror, Chris let his hands run over the poster which in the future acted as the transport bay for the Resistance. Chris suppressed a shudder as he looked to the corner where his Aunt Phoebe had fallen all those years ago, she had only lasted a few months before Wyatt destroyed her. What Wyatt had done to Coop was worse than death, forcing him to watch as he tortured his kids into submission or death. Then he presented Phoebe's broken body to the public before throwing her at Coop's feet. His Uncle hadn't spoken in nine years trapped in the recesses of his own mind, Wyatt had done the impossible and destroyed a Cupid's belief in love. Chris had always figured the reason Wyatt did that was out of simple jealousy, for cCop was a constant reminder of what Wyatt could never be, he could have the powers of a demon, effectively become a darklighter have minions kissing his feet but he would never be able to possess the unique powers of a Cupid. Chris took a deep breath reminding himself this would all be different if he changed it. No need to focus on the negatives.

"I've been calling for you all week. Didn't you hear me?" Phoebe huffed as she clutched her chest, trying to stop her racing heart, in her opinion Chris really needed a warning bell. The scowl on her face emphasised the annoyance she was feeling in regards to her Whitelighter at the moment.

"For the first couple of days, yeah. Then I put you on mute." Chris muttered as he moved various objects on her desk trying to keep his mind from wandering, he momentarily scowled as he remembered the headache he'd been subjected to as a result of Phoebe's need to talk.

If Chris couldn't save himself then he and his family would lose Parker and Peyton; he really didn't want to think about what would happen to them if they lost the light that reminded everyone what they were fighting for. Chris knew those two were half the reason he was still fighting.

"You can put me on mute?" Phoebe's question brought him back to her office. His hair was flopping into his eyes as his hands explored the desk and the objects on it, giving a brief shrug Chris looked back up at Phoebe and answered her. Her nose was twitching and he knew she had at least a weeks worth of questions prepared so he had to refocus her mind.

"Can we focus here, please? Piper and Leo need to have sex." Phoebe and Chris both swallowed the feeling of disgust bubbling inside them. Like every child Chris liked to believe the stalk dropped him off. And Phoebe admitted that there were somethings about her sisters she didn't need to know. "Now who's gonna tell them? You or me?" While the thought of telling his parents they needed to 'do it' made him cringe, Chris begrudgingly admitted he would rather do that then disappear. He'd rather that than have to watch his kids disappear.

Phoebe tried to force herself to think of a solution that would result in the nephew she'd seen in the vision quest. She couldn't forget the innocence that shone in those emerald eyes, she could imagine him lighting up a room with a simple smile. It was a world she would happily live in and she would do anything to achieve that. _Well_ anything except force Piper and Leo to sleep together that was too far. "No, nobody's gonna tell them because we're not gonna reopen those wounds." Ignoring Chris scowl Phoebe snatched a letter off him, frustrated at him for messing up her desk. A gasp left her lips and her face went blank as she walked through the premonition. When she snapped out of it she saw Chris' inquisitive face inches from her own as if his proximity to her visions would increase his chance of seeing it himself.

"What is it? What'd you see?" Chris was curious and secretly hoped that this was the vanquish he thought it was. No one had ever told him what had happened exactly all he knew was it involved a genie and that could seriously help him at the moment. He wouldn't need anyone else's help and sure it wasn't the ideal conception but at least he'd be conceived.

"A woman being attacked." Phoebe answered as she caught her breath. Chris handed her the glass of water from her desk and watched as she gulped it down almost like she was in the desert herself. Phoebe put the glass down with a resounding slam as it rolled precariously towards the end of the desk, immediately latching onto his arm, Phoebe looking at him expectantly as she made a get going notion with her hands.

Chris sighed and lifted an eyebrow condescendingly. "Where?" Phoebe blushed slightly before she answered. Chris smirked as he watched her face knowing the feeling of orbing was one of the sisters' least favourite sensations. The sound of the orbs was masked by the glass finally reaching the ground.

:: :: :: :: ::

"This is not good." Peyton murmured as she crossed the room. Parker watched her with an amused smile. His sister was pacing, her hair in two pigtails that whacked her in the eye with every turn yet did nothing to stop her. The serious set her face out of place on one so young.

"Chill Pey, your four it'd do you good to actually act your age for once." Cole words were filled with laughter as he watched his tiny great-niece shaking her head frantically. "You too Parker." Looking at the troubled pair, Cole threw Parker a flashing purple plastic ball - a gift from Natalie - hoping that it would keep him distracted or at least test his human instincts.

Peyton turned to glare at her uncle who uncharacteristically shrunk back. Mel thought it was hilarious how at such a young age she had perfected the Halliwell glare, clearing her throat Mel drifted into the other room and surveyed their 'problem'. There on the living room floor lay the fireman guy her mother was currently seeing.

His hair was flying in all directions and unfortunately he was still in uniform the only upside was that it didn't appear to be any dirtier than one would expect of a fireman. Mel humphed in annoyance as she once again wondered how the magical answer to her spell on how to save Chris came in the form of an unconscious boyfriend.

"Hey Uncle Cole, maybe we should just leave him for a bit. Maybe were just supposed to keep him away from Mum, until she thinks he's ignoring her." Mel didn't particularly like her plan but she wasn't about to risk her brother's and in turn niece and nephew's existence because of a fireman who didn't quite belong in the story at this point.

Cole turned to his niece and raised an eyebrow in query. As Mel began to answer a presence flittered through their minds and their memories now included Paige's son - Henry Jr.

Prue appeared in a flock of purple orbs and smiled happily. They were making a nice headway on the destiny/death list - Chris had made them swear they wouldn't go on random vanquishing sprees but if they happened across the demon there would be no penalty for vanquishing it.

Peyton's eyes widened as Parker sent an athame flying through the air. Soaring past Prue's head, barely missing her cheek - she could feel the coolness of the metal as it brushed past her - and landed in a tracer demon who looked between the child, athame and himself in bewilderment. His screams echoing through the house played cover for the start of the ambush and they were quickly under attack from his two friends. Melinda lifted a hand but paused as Prue and Cole sent various attacks at them and just as quickly as the first one - they too were gone.

The room was now silent save from the laboured breaths and cheers as everyone congratulated Prue and Cole as they listened to the story surrounding the vanquish and consequently Henry's return to the land of the living. Suddenly the twinkle of orbs filled the room causing Cole to pause mid sentence as everyone turned to the side mesmerized at purple-blue orbs appeared and took the shape of someone they never thought they'd see again.

:: :: :: :: ::

The stain glassed windows of the conservatory served as Chris' window as he looked out on the world, groaning as his mind wondered to where his family were and what they might be up to. As far as he could tell all of them except for Prue and Cole were at Natalie's but unfortunately they were all focusing on not allowing him to sense something or someone. Chris sighed wearily and hoped Melinda would be able to take care of whatever mess they'd made this time. His attention was returned to the conservatory were everyone was on guard, Leo kept eyeing the genie uncertain of her true agenda - basically the way he approached everyone nowadays - Piper was missing along with Paige and Chris was finally happy he got to see what happened with the genie, he remembered that when he'd asked Wyatt - even his all powerful older brother didn't know what had happened.

When they'd first returned to the manor, Phoebe had basically thrown a tantrum until Leo agreed to heal Chris's shoulder, this reaction both highly amused and infuriated Chris. But now that it came down to it as Leo scowled but moved closer, Chris stood stiff fighting to control his urge to escape the Elder's grasp.

"I could heal him, master. Your warrior needs his strength. My last master will be coming back for me." Jinny smiled happily and Chris felt the familiar tingling he got when evil was present. The genie was simply _too_ kind but since he had never met one before - which he considered totally unfair given that his mother had dealt with at least two - besides all that, the fact that it was never mentioned meant Chris had no idea how to deal with the feeling. However he figured of the incident was too bad his family would have told him despite possible embarrassment factors, so with that decided he pushed his feelings aside for the time being. Right now his priority was that he _needed_ the genie to get his parents together. The Resistance leader version of Chris would have probably considered that mistake number one but at the moment Chris Halliwell was very much front and centre.

"I think he's got it under control." Phoebe replied immediately, while she liked Jinny she knew of the tricks genie's employed. As the old saying went - fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.

"Good idea, save your wishes." Jinny nodded approvingly but inside she was seething at the lack of ignorance the Charmed Ones had in regard to genies. Jinny had not once heard any of her _masters_ mention the Charmed Ones coming into contact with a genie and given the fact that they tended to have a likeness in regards to collecting genies, that would have become common knowledge.

"Did you get a good look at the demon?" Leo said as he moved away from Chris. Both visibly relaxing once they were in their own space again. Chris' hand ran through his hair as he shrugged off the emotional baggage that came with being in such close proximity to the man, it was not in his nature to admit failure - even more so in regards to Leo and so it was with great displeasure that he shook his head.

"I did, and when we're done here I'll go up to the Book of Shadows and check it out. I also called Paige to see if she can keep an eye on Jinny for me." Phoebe tossed a quick glance at the Genie who appeared to be minding her own business - exploring the room, searching pictures of Leo and Piper, Piper and her sisters almost as if she was familiarizing herself with who was who. Jinny quirked an eyebrow as she looked between the eldest Charmed One's wedding photo and their whitelighter. There was quite the resemblance but it appeared his eyes were from the Elder. If Jinny didn't know any better she would have sworn he was their son, but then disregarded it as it appeared he was closest to the age of the youngest Charmed one so how could he possibly be their son. However she did know better - magic was powerful and tricky - the only thing hat caused her to question her assumption was the way they treated him, almost as if he was a threat. Regardless, they were a family of powerful witches and anything could happen, Jinny simply hoped he didn't get in the way of her plans.

They kept talking but Chris zoned out as he examined his new memories. Henry Jr was back! Chris smiled slightly as he remembered the trouble they had gotten up to as kids. There was one time, Chris must have been about eight making Henry about six. It had been an interesting day at magic school and one of the other kids had made fun of Henry claiming he was scared to do anything that would get him in trouble with his mummy. As life would have it, Henry recruited Chris into his plans knowing that whatever they were going to do, it had to be big and no one did big like Chris. Chris chuckled slightly as he recalled his Aunt Paige turning an unflattering shade of red when she'd discovers they had broken the coffee machines at both their houses along with the ones at magic school, the whole coffee part of it had simply been a byproduct of the main prank, which involved elaborate tunnel system filled with various traps and obstacles to catch the students unaware and test their reflexes. The coffee filters had gone a long way in ensuring he mesh wall remained strong - to the point where a few kids were sent to the infirmary since they couldn't get around it. Eventually Paige had located a working coffee machine, but by that point not only had Chris and Junior racked up two months worth of detentions but they had to remove the assistant Headmaster's car from the fountain - that was the day Chris discovered it Paige's powers were very much linked to her intake of caffeine. He smiled momentarily at the memory, recalling how he had used a variation of that prank in the resistance to keep the members in shape and on their feet as it magically altered to fit the right cause for the persons age, powers and physical fitness.

"Listen, I gotta get back up there." Chris snorted quietly as he thought of the number of times Leo used that line in the future. Though he reckoned the sisters would find it hard to believe, Leo used the phrase more often than Chris said 'future consequences'. Which ironically enough had been the one thing that Chris had actually learnt from Leo himself, personally Chris believed it was part of a great karmic bitch slap, Leo had orchestrated. "You think you can handle this without Piper?" Chris' head snapped up wondering where the hell she had disappeared to anyway. Though the Charmed Ones did not seem to care too terribly about what happened to the world and instead focused in their social life it was unlike Piper to leave without saying anything.

"Where is Piper?" Leo shot a look of annoyance to the Whitelighter, his jade yes rolling in exasperation before answering his question, his tone clipped, distant and full of blame that was directed at Chris.

"On a date." As Leo's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and jealousy, Chris was grateful he could easily survive one of Leo's Elder attacks if he felt the need to release that anger on the 'unsuspecting' _replacement_ Whitelighter. Chris glowered as he remembered the time he had overhead Leo calling him the replacement and despite what Chris told himself he had to admit it hurt him more than he was expecting, he was so accustomed to taking Leo's words with a grain of salt that the betrayal he had felt shocked him.

"On a date in the middle of the day?" Chris got an uneasy feeling in his stomach wondering how his parents managed to survived the transition to Elder in one timeline but not the other. He couldn't have been that much of a thorn in their sides, besides in a way Chris figured it would be even easier since Leo only had to leave one son behind in this timeline - not that he showed much remorse for leaving Chris and later Melinda but that's beside the point.

"Yeah, Greg works nights." Phoebe and Leo shared a look that showed that they both didn't like the idea of Piper's relationship with the fireman but they were both were dealing with completely different but entirely selfish needs. Phoebe fiddled as she imagined getting to spoil the little boy in her dream - spoil him senseless, his big green eyes looking up at her with love and humor and hopefully just a bot of admiration. However Leo simply didn't like the idea of another man having Piper. If it wasn't such a primitive caveman like action he would be willing to throw Piper over his shoulder - after interrupting her date in the middle of the restaurant - storm (or orb) out and proceed to show her just why she could never love a man the way she loves him, show him that her body would never respond to another the way it did to his own. Show her that they completed each other. But of course he was an Elder, and that was anything other than pacifistic.

"Oh, come on! What about all this forbidden lovers, you and me against the world stuff? That just doesn't go away." Chris threw at Leo ignoring Phoebe's look of disapproval - taking the reigns had meant she got to say how far they were allowed to mess withPiper and Leo's emotions and apparently he'd just crossed a line. He looked into the one part of Leo he was burdened to carry, those green eyes that overpowered all other genes, the eyes that were supposedly the windows to the soul. The eyes that were supposed to give him hope but all he saw was a coldness and great distain.

"You know, Chris, it's a little late for male bonding. Especially since I'm petitioning the other Elders to send you back to your time." Leo looked at Chris smugly there was not even a hint of an apology in his tone, posture or eyes. It was so silent you could have heard a pin drop and just like Chris had been expecting, the moment had finally arrived when Leo let the all consuming arrogance of the Elders infect him and he became even more 'holier-than-thou' something Phoebe didn't think possible.

Chris shook his head in disbelief. His eyes wide, pleading and hollow at the same time. He backed up and prepared to escape even if that meant unleashing powers he was never supposed to use in this time for the last thing he was going to let happen was abandoning both his mission and his family. Opening his mouth to protest all that came out was a defeated and confused, "what?" Chris' eyebrows furrowed as he tried to form words from his jumbled thoughts, all he could pick out was the part in which he had failed everyone he loved - Peyton, Parker, Mel, his aunts and uncles, his mother and even Wyatt. They were relying on him to provide a better life and he couldn't even manage that.

"Wait, are you serious?" Phoebe looked at Leo and pinched his arm to make sure he was real, it wasn't as if she was going to pinch her own arm - she bruised like a peach. He shot her a look but otherwise remained silent, enjoying seeing the perpetually sardonic smirk wiped off the Whitelighter's face.

"Even though Chris's intensions are good, his methods have put us all at risk. So, he's going back." You could hear the gloating in every word. Each one oozed with annoyance and pleasure. Chris knew it was most likely his own fault as he had never attempted to connect with Leo content to ignore him even going so far as to send him to Valhalla, but it was not in his nature to go down without a fight and Leo was in for the fight of his life.

"Abandoning me again. Shocker." Chris murmured under his breath as he glared at Leo, the blonde haired man currently bearing a striking resemblance to his future evil son. The cold gaze, straight tight lipped smile, the slight twitching of fingers showing the magic just itching to be release, released to take care of the problem once and for all whether it was living or not. The comparison was one which he knew Leo would never appreciate but that didn't stop Chris from laughing - not a happy laugh, but a slightly deranged, psychopathic laugh - which in turn caused Leo's scowl to deepen. Honestly Chris remembered all the people tell him to lighten up when it reality it was Leo who seriously needed the stick pulled out.

Leo sighed placatingly as he held back a cheer of victory that he was finally getting what he wanted. "Look, you did your job, you warned us about an evil that was after Wyatt. I think we can handle it from here." Both Phoebe and Chris shook their heads at Leo's idiocy, they didn't stand a chance against whoever or whatever it was without Chris the proof of which simply evident in the fact that Chris had to come to the past at all - if they missed it the first time what's to say they won't miss it again. Chris's determination was one of the thing Phoebe begrudgingly admitted was an asset to them, his unrelenting dedication and ability to roll with the punches was something she greatly admired. Even though it came at the price of 3am vanquishes.

Leo luged forward to grab onto Chris' arm - preparing to orb Up There - and missing completely as the younger man slid out of the way, not to let it deter him he attempted to try again when an array of lights stopped him. An assortment of gold and purple orbs appeared in the middle of the room, causing Leo to step backwards as Phoebe got ready to fight - sure they were not the colour of a Darklighter, but they weren't that of a whitelighter either. The orbs disappeared and in their place was a girl no older than twelve, her long black hair was dead straight, not a single curl in it, her eyes were a shocking silver, her face was pale but her features uniquely delicate. Phoebe felt herself shudder and stand up straight as she observed the girl take in the room, unable to stop herself from compare their newest arrival to her _dead _big sister Prue. Phoebe shook her head at her actions - not to mention the lunacy of her thoughts - she waited momentarily for something... anything to happen, the silence that had once again descended upon the room felt like an eery suffocating blanket.

A gasp made everyone turn to look at the girl, shocked at the break in the silence. "Chris!" When Phoebe blinked she noticed the girl had wrapped her arms around Chris neck. She was in what could only be considered a bear hug - her black converse clad feet were dangling off the floor, she was so happy that she didn't appear to notice. Phoebe beheld the sight with startling uncertainty as she finally processed what was happening - Chris was crying. His shoulders shaking as he held the girl to him as if she where the answer to all the happiness in the world. It was unnerving to say the least. Chris never showed any emotions, ever. So to go from none to one so strong, was a shock to Phoebe's brain not to mention her curiosity growing. An even more so when she realised that despite the caliber of his emotions - obviously strong enough to get past his stoic defenses and actually appear on his face - she was still unable to get a read off him.

"Is Chris crying?" Amoung all the confusion, neither Phoebe or Leo had heard the youngest Charmed One enter. Paige was stuck, unsure what to do with the scene in front of her. On one hand she felt the overwhelming urge to comfort Chris, perhaps make him laugh by pointing out how girly he is being, but on the other hand the whole interaction seemed too private for them to be allowed to witness.

Leo's mouth dropped open when Chris placed a soft kiss on the young girl's forehead, the tenderness in that one gesture more confusion than anything else in the last five minutes. They couldn't see the girl's face as it was buried in Chris' chest but Paige noticed how her cheekbones and ears moved in a way that could only mean smiling. Chris was murmuring against the girl's head and they all stepped one step closer, curiosity clawing at them, unwilling to let this side of Chris escape their grasp before they got a chance to fully understand what this side was.

As he put the girl down they watched mesmerized as she brushed away his tears with her small fingers. The only evidence of Chris' breakdown was a small rim of red around his eyes, that they had no doubt would disappear soon enough. "Shh... Chris don't cry, I'm right here. In the flesh. See..." She quickly pinched herself and winced, then pinched him - clearly trying to reinforce her point. Chris' deep laugh filled the room and to Paige's surprise he crushed the girl into another bone crushing hug. "Chris...seriously I can't breathe." Chris let her go a slight pink tinting his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck at a loss for what to say. Her cool hands framed his face and he noted the growing confusion bundling in her eyes. "You need a haircut." She reprimanded as she twirled a strand of his soft fringe around her bony fingers - the small action causing Chris' blush to deepen.

Paige snorted as she tried to contain her silent laughter at his actions. The girl whipped around in an incredibly fast movement. Her hair flying out behind her and her silver eyes widened considerably as she took in the sisters - prepared to lie her way out of this one better than anyone before her, however once she noticed the third person in the room wasn't Piper but Leo, her eyes grew dark and the glare she shot at him chilled the other two. There was an unbelievable chill in the air as the understanding of just how strong this girl had the potential to be hit them. "Belle stop! Belle, cut it out." Chris' dries pulled Phoebe out of her contemplative haze, her eyes growing to large as saucers when she realised Leo was slowly beginning to crystalize and her own breaths were coming out in visible wisps as the temperature rapidly dropped.

Once she broke eye contact and looked at Chris, Paige noticed that the girl's - Belle's - eyes immediately softened and she curled herself back under Chris' arm. His hand stroked her hair and Chris held her securely against him sending the clear message that he didn't care if they were his charges if it came down to them (and Leo - which probably in and off itself would have lost them the votes) against Belle, Chris would not hesitate. "What's _he _doing here." There was so much venom in her voice that Leo winced, no child so young should be able to hold that much hatred, yet it appeared the one in front of him was simply showing the tip of the iceberg. As slowly as his glacial transformation happened, it was beginning to reverse and Leo was grateful for his Elder ability to heal as he had a shot of returning to his natural form when in most cases the frostbite alone would cause death.

"What is it with people that Chris knows always trying to hurt Leo." Paige wondered out loud and Phoebe nodded in agreement. Her little sister not only seemed to pick up on that but also addressed the elephant in the room in one shot. Let it be said Paige was never, nor did she ever plan to be a person of subtlety or someone who beats around the bush. Leo huffed in aggravation and Chris shot them all a cold but meaningful look a look which was quickly translated by the small girl next to him.

"Have you _met_ Leo?" Belle's voice was harsh as she glared at the man before her, like many others of her family they strongly disagreed with Leo's favoritism of Wyatt and complete ignorance in regards to Chris. Even his treatment of Mel while completely unacceptable was at least a fraction better than Chris'. Most middle children didn't have actual cause for middle child syndrome but in this case it was overly true. And with the fact that Belle owed her life to her cousin, there was nothing Leo could do to ever stop her from defending _her _Chrissy.

Deciding against continuing this argument Chris turned towards his cousin and focused solely on her. "Belle, what do you remember?" Chris had knelt down so he was eye level with her and they could all she the shiver that ran through her small body at whatever memory ran through her head.

Her voice was small with an almost detached quality as if she was telling a story that wasn't really her own. Paige moved minutely closer as she tried to hear what the Belle was telling Chris. "I remember dying. I remember the coldness, the pain, the emptiness. But I also remember hearing you say that you were going to fix this. You were going to get me back. And you did." Belle breathed deeply trying to control her response. The tears were threatening to overtake her and she wanted to keep composure for Chris - make sure he never had to know how much it had scared her, but it didn't work tears of fear and tears of gratitude rolled down her face, icy cold and scarily reminiscent of how she'd felt then.

Belle immediately hugged him again and drunk in the comfort that she received as his arms encircled her thin body. Pulling away she looked at Chris with a perplexed expression, knowing he'd have answers to her query. "But there's more. Memories that overlap that one. I can see me fighting and I can feel the acid dissolve my skin from the tracer demon. Then it changes and I- I can see you finding me exploring through an empty cave before coming topside and returning to the park. It was _his_ birthday." Belle, like Chris and Melinda was incapable of hating Wyatt, he had done so much for them when they were little that no matter how much they tried, how much he took from them. But they also knew that monster wasn't Wyatt, it was something dark, something corrupt. Yet in there memories he was the Wyatt he had always been when they were kids. The Wyatt before The Event. Belle knew that she would never love one of her cousins more than Chris as there was a bond there and for all intents and purposes Chris was just as responsible for bringing her into this world as her parents if not more so - though she would never tell them that - it didn't stop the fact from being true. "You saved me, just like you said you would." The tears now cascaded in cool rivulets down her cheeks, trembling as she pressed a soft kiss to Chris' cheek. Her arms tightened around his neck, clutching onto him as he stood up. "You saved me." The disbelief - at the situation, not in Chris' powers -and gratitude in her tone was only heard by Chris and that was all that mattered.

Chris nodded slowly stroking her long, soft hair until she calmed. "It figures I would bring you with them when I called for them." Belle turned her head to the side before the new memory washed over her. She spared a moment to glare at the sisters and Leo as the images of Chris battered and broken washed over her, before turning back to the subject of her thoughts. She pulled up his shirt exposing his scarily lean but toned stomach before looking him in the eyes.

Paige pulled back shocked but amazed at just how thin Chris was despite his muscles, there was no denying her whitelighter was in shape, however a case could be made for h is malnourishment. Like the little girl, Chris also seemed to averaging 20 kilograms (44 pounds) less than the normal weight range a fact which shot Paige through the heart - she'd seen kids like this when she was a social worker and their stories never involved happy childhoods filled with sunshine and rainbows. No their stories were filled with death, despair, poverty, trauma, torture and many more unpleasantries.

"_They_ healed you." Her small palm ran across the gashes that she could only see in her mind, at Chris' nod she continued not thinking about the others in the room only about her cousin. "In the new memories... I helped. But you were still out for five days. Five days! Chris you nearly died, for real this time." Chris had been avidly aware - both in his conscious and unconscious state - of just how bad his injuries had been after Wyatt's run in with The Order but no one was as blunt as Belle, it was a quality she had bested even Paige in. Hearing it out loud also made a difference and Chris felt a shudder run through his body as he realised that he had nearly sacrificed not only himself but the mission - all for the purpose of saving Wyatt from The Order, sure at the time they had seemed the threat but in reality they were nothing more than another vanquish on his belt - if he had died, he would have been the reason the others gave up hope in regards to the evil that ultimately turned his older brother.

Phoebe gasped as she realised that the five days that Chris had been 'missing' from their lives - he had been just that. Missing from consciousness, lost in the recesses of his own mind since there wasn't enough magic to heal him from what he had done to save her little nephew. Her mind conjured the burnt near death body once again and she wished there had been something she could have done. The way Belle phrased it, meant that there was more than just one person working on his healing in which case it must have been even worse than she initially thought - and her initial assessment hadn't been a good one.

"Wait you said 'you remember dying'." Leo's question was more a statement as the words bubbled to life in his mind. "I knew you were lying about Wyatt. You just came back to the past to change the future to how you wanted." Leo hissed at Chris as he moved forward, lightening crackling across his fingertips leaving Phoebe with a sense of foreboding that she didn't quite understand. Chris kept the smirk off his face but moved his body so he was sheltering Belle, the lightening would not do anything except piss Leo off but the principle was still the same and their was no way he was going to let that happen to Belle. Chris had years after The Event to train himself as a result of Leo's wrath but he never wanted Belle to even have to feel like she was about to go through a state of forced electrocution - for it would only be the magical blood running through their veins that prevented their deaths, well that and Chris' invisible shield.

Belle's eyes narrowed sharply and Leo was pinned against the wall. She turned away and continued talking to Chris, but Leo was surprisingly (at least to himself and the sisters) still unable to move. "I wont let him hurt you, it's his fault you almost died and he _still_ wont accept the fact that the monster Wyatt became is a murdering tyrant."

"That's okay Belle." Chris calmed the girl and Paige was shocked to see him stop Leo's probable execution or at least very painful torture despite his most recent batch of accusations - if Paige was in Chris' shoes she would certainly not have had nearly as much patience. Chris smiled warmly at Belle as he pushed a strand of ivory hair behind her ear. "I'm sure _they'll_ be gaining their new memories about now, so we should go." Chris' words were calm and Phoebe was amazed at how controlled he was in this volatile situation. "I'll be back to help with the Jinny the Genie thing in a while, I'm sure you can handle this on your own and you have Leo now." Phoebe knew enough about their whitelighter to know he just needed some time, quite honestly she reckoned they all needed some alone time, but she quickly reasoned that it would be counterproductive - they still needed to find Bosk, besides Chris was right they _did_ have Leo - at least for the time being. And if there was one thing the sisters had been needing for a while, it was the guidance, Leo gave them.

The room was drifting back to that uncomfortable silence and Phoebe shuffled uncomfortably - for once unsure how to begin - when Paige took the lead and opened her mouth. "Oh my god, you landed one." Paige's voice was filled with disbelief as she wondered over and prodded Jinny in the arm as if she was some form of animal. Belle's loud musical laugh was the last thing they heard from the pair before they orbed away in a startling array of purple, blue and gold.

"She's a Genie, not a trout." Phoebe's dry response was met by a snort and flick of Paige's hair, before the middle sister turned away from Jinny and glanced over to Leo, glaring at him when he shook his head from his place on the wall to signify he was staying out of it.

A voice rang through their minds sounding somewhat childish but incredibly determined. "Oh yeah, here you go Leo. But a word of advice... think of hurting Chris again and I won't consider what the consequences of my actions are like Chris does, I'll just turn you into an Elder shish kebab." To emphasise her point Belle allowed Leo to drop to the floor with a ear splitting thud. Paige couldn't help her laugh as she looked down at her ex-brother-in-law noticed the shish kebab lying beside him.

:: :: :: :: ::

"Persephone Isabelle Christina Halliwell, don't you dare die on me again. Or so help me, I will ground you until you forget what the outside world looks like." Prue's harsh words were softened by the tears streaming down her face. Belle disappeared into her mothers arms, her hair barely visible as Prue tried to absorb as much as her daughter as possible. Cole was being supported by Chris and Mel - his legs felt like jelly as he looked upon his daughter's face many years older than he last saw her. Despite his overwhelming need to hold both his wife and daughter, he held back knowing Prue needed this moment to herself.

The minute Belle was released from Prue's clutches she was airborne and in her fathers' arms, his tears soaking into her hair. "Daddy, it's alright I'm right here." Cole shook his head in disbelief her name might have been on the list but he was still convinced it was an improbable scenario - that it was best not to get his hopes up. He curled a strand of her long hair around his finger before setting her down, letting it unravel as she stepped out of his embrace. "I just haven't held you since you were eight." Cole's voice was barely above a whisper. Prue came over her steps uneven and joyous, leaning into Cole as he wrapped his arms around her waist for support.

Mel laughed through tears of joy as she hugged her cousin tightly. "Don't worry I'll find a way to sneak you out when your grounded." Belle's own tinkling laugh sounded as she glanced at her amusing cousin, amazed at Mel's ability to make a joke at a time like this.

Suddenly a scream sliced through the air - causing Belle to jump quickly - before it was cut off with a gurgle and what Belle presumed was unconsciousness. Quickly scanning the room taking in the framed photos as she noticed quite a few included Chris and the other family members from the future, looking more relaxed than she'd seen them since The Event. The blue walls were a soft colour that simply aided in calming Belle as she continued looking around the room.

"We told him not to move but he didn't listen." Parker's voice floated over to them and Chris finally moved to see what they were up to this time. Parker kept his green eyes on the floor tracing the grooves in the wood, he knew his dad was not going to like what they saw.

"Wait please tell me that's not Greg." Chris' voice was somewhat pleading as he focus on the guilty faces flittering through they room. His hair was messed up as her ran a hand through it trying to factor in where his mother was n Greg was on Natalie's living room floor.

Peyton shrugged as she looked up at her father. "Well is Greg the firefighter Grandma Piper's dating?" At his nod she frowned before begrudgingly continuing knowing it was best to 'rip the bandaid off'. "Then sorry, that's him." Chris sighed running a hand over his face trying to figure out how to avoid Piper's wrath. He could already picture her hard brown eyes - ones that used to look at him with such love - as she glared at him hatefully for messing up another plan, another meeting, another date, another element of her life... hating him for existing at all.

Peyton's vision was suddenly obscured by a soft face who was examining her own with apparent curiosity. Belle cocked her head to the side as she sifted through her memories of the child in front of her. Smiling warmly she extended her hand knowing that though they had memories of each other they were nothing more than that - no feelings other than the obligatory ones were involved.

"I'm Belle." Peyton nodded and smiled back grateful that they were being introduced despite their newfound memories. The girl looked so much like her Aunt Prue but Peyton could tell she had her Uncle Cole's attitude - they'd get along just fine.

"Peyton. But I like you so you can call me Pey." Her brown hair was pulled into a neat french plait that only heightened the serious tone she was using. Belle nodded and gave the young girl a quick hug which Peyton found herself returning. It appeared that Belle had no problems embracing the youngest member of her family as if she had known her for years.

"The last time I saw you, you were still in B's stomach. And I was eight." Belle's eyes shone as she remembered a good memory despite the war and destruction filled background. "Chris I'm so sorry about B, but I know she's going to be there after we've fix this mess. Don't worry." She moved from Peyton and tucked herself back into her cousin's side. Her hand rested on his chest and he was filled with a sense of love and kindness. Belle channeled her emotions into Chris knowing he needed to feel something other than the evil plaguing at his soul thanks to Wyatt and everything he had been through both in the future and the past.

"_We_? I don't think so young lady you are grounded." Prue's eyes showed no anger, only deep fear and Chris knew it was simply her best idea in terms of keeping her daughter alive. However he knew his cousin as well as the back of his hand and he was positive that wasn't going to go over well.

"That's _so_ not fair." Belle whined dragging out the 'o' in 'so'. "Parks and_ even_ Pey get to help why can't I." She ruffled Parker's hair before picking him up and positioning him on her hip, making her point about the age difference and unfairness of the situation.

"They haven't died recently." Cole stated knowing Prue was getting nowhere with her simple 'because I said so' stare. Belle was too much like him for her own good and that was not something that he was exactly proud of but he did understand where she was coming from.

"Technically I did." Peyton stated but quickly sought out the floor at the look both Prue and her father sent her way. Peyton waited for Prue to look away and moved quickly to her father. Chris ran his fingers down her braid before lifting her into his arms - he smiled as she nestled into him - and he felt his fear lessen as he held her solidly in his arms. Try as she might to help Belle, Peyton knew the best course of action was not to make the rest of her family feel the fear of her death again.

"Yes exactly," Belle shot a thankful look at the youngest member of the Halliwell's before returning her gaze to her mother. "Besides I didn't die... at least not this time." Belle argued back causing her mother to huff at her skewed logic. Belle's eyes furrowed as she wondered if she was using the correct tenses in regards to which point in time they were at. Chris had been teaching her tenses when she died the first time and this time Chris had been too busy quickly building up The Resistance and fighting Wyatt trying to keep his family safe to take a moment to teach her the rest and as such it was a point of insecurity she didn't like to boast about.

"Belle..." Parker waited until he had her attention, his big green eyes locked onto hers conveying the importance of what he was about to do, "here." Parker pulled on the chain that was around his neck - before looking down as his cheeks flamed. Chris smiled sadly while the others simply peered at the silver band. Very few people had seen the objects on Parker's chain but everyone knew that they were of significance - especially since he never took it off.

Parker's free hand traced Belle's bare wrist grateful that somehow she hadn't been branded as member of The Resistance yet. Her hand closed around the small, cold object he gave her, her eyebrows drawing in as she tried not to get her hopes but but as she opened her hand she couldn't contain her gasp or the consequent widening of her smile. There in her palm lay the crystal bell necklace Chris had gotten for her fifth birthday, it was charmed to only sound in her ears and the ears of those she intended it to. A warning bell if you like and it was meant to keep her safe. It was also where her nickname quickly stemmed from. That had been the best birthday present she had ever received, a chance to be somewhat normal and ditch 'Persephone the Phony' the name she'd been called at normal school as a result of having so many cover stories.

She kissed his soft cheek and retied the bell around her neck, loving how it still fit perfectly - to her it felt like coming home. In the new memories Belle had given the necklace to Parker insisting it would be like having a piece of their family with them in the past. Touching the crystal delicately, Belle's eyes watered as they gasped having heard the once familiar tune ring through their heads.

"Chris you have to get back." Belle's soft voice brought Chris out of his thoughts - and broke the bittersweet tone of the reunion - he chuckled momentarily as he noticed all the others wiping their eyes discretely. People thought the Halliwell's of 2004 struggled to show affection but in the future it was unheard of. Prue cringed when she realised the past was making them all soft - if they didn't save the future, they would not survive back in the future - however if at the end of it all the succeeded it could very well be for the best that even if they remembered the past timeline they'd be able to feel again.

Chris nodded disheartened at the thought of returning to what was once the happiest place in his childhood - deciding against returning right away, he thought of his mother and Piper and knew what he had to do, "Keep Greg here until I can get back and wipe his memory. At least attempt to make him comfortable - it's not his fault he got caught in the crossfire." They all looked down guiltily as Belle laughed. Chris shook his head in laughter, throwing one more look at Greg before disappearing in a shower of orbs to find the sisters.


	14. I Dream of Phoebe Part 2

**A/N: To make up for the fact that I lost track of time with the last update I rushed through this one to get it finished and uploaded quickly to make it up to all of you who continue to loyally read my story despite it's unscheduled sporadic updates. Also it might be a while until my next update as I really have to keep studying and hopefully pass my exams.**

**Until next time...**

**~ Gabz**

:: :: :: :: ::

"Piper!" Chris called out somewhat distressed as he found her slumped outside the fireman's door. Her brown hair cascaded in front of her face hiding her emotions as she traced patterns on the floor with her finger.

"Go away." Piper's glare didn't reach it's usual strength as she fought off another wave rejection. Chris felt his heart break - so used to the strong woman who constantly tore him down and the strong woman who raised him. Despite what he actively said in his head she was his mother and seeing her so broken - especially when he was the cause even if by proxy, created a great unease within him.

"We have an emergency." Chris stated as he slid down the wall next to her. Piper glanced at the whitelighter and sighed, she was momentarily confused as to why he would say something which held such weight but not act on it or demand anything from her. His features were relaxed for a change and caused her to guiltily notice that he was just entering adulthood and couldn't be more than 25. Despite what she wanted to believe, if Wyatt was truly as bad as Chris said and he was desperate enough to come to the past, he must of been just a child when all this started - the thought caused a pool of anger to form in her stomach at both herself and Chris' mother, how could they have let it come to this.

As Piper thought over her own reasons for sulking, guilt plagued her when she realised how petty her worries were compared to Chris'. Sympathy was something Piper had been feeling more of towards her whitelighter lately. Thinking about it she wondered what her reactions would have been if he was just a stranger off the street or the innocent they had to save. In both cases she felt ashamed of just how badly they had been treating Chris - they'd probably treated Cole better than they had Chris. He had only been doing his job and a rather good one at that as well as their Wiccan duties, it really shouldn't matter that he was so overbearing and demanding - sometimes it was a good thing, something Prue had proved on a daily basis.

"Do you need to talk about it?" Chris voice was calm and soft, as if he was used to dealing with stressed people in highly volatile situations and she found herself not wanting to know if that was the case.

Piper began to shake her head but realising his unusually open demeanor and not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth she unknowingly began to confide in Chris. He nodded along and listened to her views on Leo, Greg, Wyatt, Phoebe, Paige and even himself. Chris knew he was very similar to Piper and one of the ways was his ability to push his problems into a deep box in his mind and lock it away, he also knew that this was not a productive thing to do - sure in the future it had kept him alive but this was 2004. Finally looking her in the eyes he gave her the response his mother always gave him, inwardly smirking at the irony in it. "Suck it up Piper, your a Halliwell - destined to have life's curve balls thrown at you but as a Halliwell you'll figure out a way to solve it. Besides you always have your family, if you need them. Now there's a demon on the loose, a genie running a muck-" Chris' speech was cut off by Piper's pragmatic views on the events - the familiarity in the motion caused his wall to crumble momentarily.

"You can't make wishes with genies." Chris smiled warmly at her and Piper was taken aback by the kindness - that was usually only shown to Wyatt and those two kids - so plainly visible and solely for her. A slight blush adorned both their cheeks as they stared across the hallway, both uncomfortable with the unexpected closeness.

"See, we need you. Come on, let's orb." Chris' warm hands gripped her upper arms as he pulled her up. Piper muttered a quiet thank you, smoothing out her hair and wiping her face from runaway makeup - not needing her family to sense her moment of weakness - and finally they were off.

:: :: :: :: ::

"...we need to find a vanquishing potion for that demon."

Chris orbed in with Piper, catching the remainder of Phoebe's speech. Phoebe was pacing, walking out her frustration, her hair sticking up on end as she looked towards the ceiling as if begging for help.

"Oh, yes, Master." Jinny's voice was sickly sweet making Chris' _spidey sense _trigger. He looked at the woman dressed in pink with her dark hair falling over her shoulder in ringlets, his eyes teeming with distrust.

Scoffing at the term master Phoebe closed her eyes in annoyance. "_Phoebe!_" Phoebe's voice was oozing with exasperation as she glared at the genie as if blaming her for all their problems. Her pacing had stopped as she looked over at Paige wishing that she could be the genie's master instead. Major Anthony Nelson made it seem much less annoying on television, but then again odds are none of the writers or actors knew about real genies.

"Yes, Master Phoebe." Phoebe huffed and rolled her eyes as she turned away, this was not their day. The sky outside was a bright mocking cloudless blue, kids were playing outside, families enjoying picnics. The usually bubbly empath scowled at their happiness, bitterness running rampant through her veins as she cursed her powers for bringing her Jinny.

"I take it you're the Genie." Piper's voice caused her sisters to snap in her direction confused as to how she had got there so fast. Her hair had been pulled into an impromptu bun and her face was set with determination, only Chris say the lingering sadness in her brown eyes.

"Oh thank God your here." Paige breathed, happy that she was no longer in charge of making sure Phoebe didn't kill the genie - for someone who had undoubtedly wanted to live like I Dream of Genie she wasn't conveying a great lot of thanks. Paige looked as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders as she gazed adoringly at Piper waiting for her to take the lead. Chris rolled his eyes at the antics of the sisters - not willing to burst their bubble yet given the fact that Paige's over exaggeration had gotten Piper to smile for the first time since Chris had seen her at Greg's.

Jinny cleared her throat as she looked at the eldest Charmed One immediately sensing that she was more intuitive and less trusting than her sisters - who weren't all that trusting either. Shifting into a more submissive stance, Jinny took the time to introduce herself hoping for starting on a friendly foot, her smile was strained as she locked eyes with the tempered eldest Halliwell. "Jinny."

Piper raised her eyebrow trying to figure out how other than the accent 'Jinny was any different from Genie'. Phoebe quickly leapt in, knowing how annoyed Piper would get if she didn't receive answers quickly and not wanting to be around for the inevitable reaction that would follow if she didn't get them, in Phoebe's books that was the one thing worse than having to continue to babysit Jinny.

"Jinny the Genie." Phoebe stated quietly as she wondered across the room, her footfall almost soundless as she thought about what to do, her mind wandered aimlessly around hoping that Piper or Chris would have the solution. Chris sighed as he watched his aunt's defeated and tired stance - this whole Genie think was not turning out to be as much fun as he hoped it was. Piper shifting beside him made him look up, noticing the scowl firmly planted on her face and knew there was no simple solution to deal with this while keeping the Sisters as happy as possible.

"Of course." Piper's sarcasm caused Paige, Phoebe and even Leo to look at her concerned - sure it wasn't the most ideal situation but she seemed to be even more touchy than usual and they all wondered what Chris had done, for he was the only one who could have possibly been the cause of her change in attitude. "Who's the demon?" Piper deflected their curious stares by focusing on their demonic problems, hoping she would be able to avoid her problems for as long as possible. Chris, understanding what she wanted, walked over to the book a excited gleam in his eyes that he was unable to mask.

"Uh. He's a low level demon with minimal powers. There's a vanquishing potion." His words were much less insisting than usual and Phoebe paused momentarily to wonder what was different about today and their Wiccan situation.

Chris often wondered how a bunch of substances thrown together could create such an impact on the demons - after all most normal people simply used Rosemary for seasoning whereas his family had two cupboards in the future, one for potions and one for cooking. However when he was younger he quickly realised that question like that were just as useful as asking why the earth moves around the sun - but occasionally he still wondered. His eyes flicked across the family tome, his rough fingers wondered over the pages and he let his memories consume him for a second. He remembered the day Belle was born, smiling as he felt the ghost of her in his arms. Her tiny body tucked against his own, her small hands encompassing his pinky as her head reseted upon his chest. That day he promised he'd never let anything happen to the dark haired girl in his arms, his baby Belle. Only eight years later he broke that promise and _that day_, that was the day he decided to plan to go to the past - there was nothing that would stop him from getting his cousin back.

"Yeah, that's what I'm working on." Phoebe snapped before apologizing, it wasn't necessary to take her frustrations about the genie out on them. However it was her screaming that brought Chris back to the land of the living.

"Good. Then you're almost done with me too. Okay, so what you're planning is summon him to us? I'd put the Genie back in the bottle just to be safe." Piper's warning was heeded by Phoebe but before she left Piper turned back to Jinny. "No offense, but we've been burned before." Jinny smiled though her eyes were cold causing Piper to glare at the her - there was something telling her not to trust the Genie.

"Do you mind?" Phoebe looked somewhat apologetically at Jinny but they could all see the relief crossing her face at the idea of not having to deal with Jinny. Chris cleared his throat looking pointedly at Jinny until she responded - the look in his eyes was a mix of disappointment and daring.

"Yes, master." Jinny disappeared into the bottle in a plume of pink smoke, the cliche all too much for Paige as she laughed lightly. Jinny's smile sent a chill down Chris' back long after she was back in her bottle. He didn't know what it was about her but he knew when to trust his instincts and everything about her was telling him to be wary.

Leo randomly snapped out of whatever thoughts he had been in before, his neck cricking in surprise. Bringing his hand up to rub the stiff muscle he turned to see his ex-wife disappearing down the hall and he quickly ran after her, trailing behind like a lost puppy. Chris smirked at the thought unable to prevent his mind from imagining Leo as a golden retriever. His chuckle drifted through the eerily quiet room when suddenly a loud bark echoed forebodingly through the manor causing Chris to visibly pale.

"Paige! Phoebe!" The two sisters disappeared down the stairs their shoes providing a live tracking of where they were.

"Is that a dog?" Paige's disbelieving voice flittered up the attic through the air vent and Chris suddenly found himself openly laughing maniacally at the idiocy of what just happened along with what he could only describe as deep pleasure at the fact that Leo was currently a dog.

"Get it off me!" Piper squealed angrily causing Chris to smirk as he intuitively knew she had frozen the dog, sure one could make a case that he'd known since the barking suddenly cut out but truly when you lived with Piper your whole life you quickly learnt she was very much a freeze first, ask questions later girl.

"Oh my God, it's Leo." Chris could imagine the looks passing across Piper and Phoebe's faces as they worried for their sister's mental health and suddenly wished he was downstairs for the big unveiling. Waiting for the pin to drop as the silence floated through the vents was rather boring in comparison so Chris quickly looked around the attic searching for the source of the mayhem.

"Mel..." Chris' voice was soft and filled with unending amusement as he waited wondering if his sister would show herself. "I know your here." Slowly the air began to shimmer around him and his sister appeared next to him. "Now, do want to explain what happened?" Though phrased as a question Mel knew her brother well enough to know that it was actually a statement and one way or another he would eventually get his answer. She also knew there was absolutely know condemnation or anger in his tone or heart.

"What can I say, you provided an interesting perspective on Leo's actions." Chris quirked an eyebrow as he looked his sister over knowing she didn't have telepathic abilities when he was blocking her. Moving to the side he swept his arm out in a wild gesture and picked up a squirming chuckling invisible bundle. His face changed between victorious and plotting as his nimble fingers got to work tickling his still invisible opponent. Trills of laughter wondered through the attic and Chris smirked down at his arm. His eyes never moving as Chris' other hand struck out like a cobra and his locked onto an invisible ankle. Holding the small person upside down he waited for the final attack, his eyes crinkled with laughter as he juggled the two troublemakers he had in his hands. Seconds later an invisible body launched through the air at Chris' back, nothing but the movement of air was heard as Chris captured the final body between the other two - creating a barrier out of squirming children. No matter how much all three tried to make their body dead weight Chris didn't budge - his eyes a light in a way they all missed.

"Mel if you'd be so kind." Chris' sarcasm caused his sister to laugh as she waved her hand effortlessly. Instantly three bodies became visible trapped next to each other in what looked like pretty uncomfortable positions. Peyton was still laughing from her dad's tickling finger attack, Parker huffed as he tried to keep his hair out of his eyes desperately hoping to find some way of convincing the attic to stop swaying as the blood rushed to his head.

Chris loosened his grip on Parker's ankle slightly causing the boy to scream out as he watched the rapidly approaching floor - he would much rather be upside down than land head first on the floor - he sighed happily when his father increased his grip again. Belle was trapped between the two and looked up at her cousin in such innocence Chris was tempted to let her go, with her silver eyes big and pleading she looked just like her mother and just like Prue she knew how to use it to her advantage. Something which would have worked had the subject not known them so well.

"Now now what do we have here?" The smile on Chris' face was one of pure joy, he knew this also counted as a chance to teach them about their stealth techniques but decided to let the lesson go this time. All five of them knew the kids could easily orb, shimmer or use a half a dozen other powers to escape but that would ruin the fun - something incredibly rare and unbelievably precious. "I have one little monkey." Chris paused as he tugged on Parker to emphasise his upside down state. "A ball of laughs." Prodding Peyton in the stomach caused even more laughter to arise the innocent sound making them all smile fondly as they messed around in the attic. "A trapped little trouble maker," Belle squirmed as she felt Chris telekinetically clip her on the back of her head, her nose twitched in annoyance causing Chris to receive a taste of his own medicine. "And of course the instigator of the whole thing... my baby sister." His eyes flickered over to her watching with great amusement as she tried to stifle her smile.

"I'm not a baby." Mel huffed, her green eyes rolling in indignation annoyed at the fact that she would always be the baby of the family no matter how old she got. Chris laughed as he watched his sister's childish behaviour reinforce his point to a T.

"Your _acting_ like a child, at the most perhaps mid-teens." Chris smirked his eyes glinting in amusement as the three in his arms erupted into laughter which only grew in volume at the sight of Mel's slight pout.

"Well if all I have to do to get you to smile again is act like a child them so be it." Mel sighed as she watched Chris' eyes widen as he realised it was a refreshing break, one they all thought he deserved more of. Mel moved her arms leaving Chris to his thoughts as she prepared to remove the spell.

"Wait!" Mel watched as Chris moved to face the wall Peyton, Parker and Belle still trapped in his arms and not moving an inch as they too wondered what he was doing. Slowly a section of the wall turned a misty silver and an image of the living room was projected onto it. The familiar furnishings invaded their eyes before they noticed Leo still in dog form, his head in Piper's lap as they futilely tried to figure out what happened.

Mel laughed at some of the suggestions her aunts came up with and even more so when they tried a countering spell, she watched as Leo jumped up from Piper's lap and began running in circles chasing his tail. Parker's head snapping up distracted her enough for Mel to refocus on the conversation between her brother and nephew.

"Are you sure?" Excitement stemmed from Parker's words, his green eyes gleaming with mischief as he looked to his father for approval. Mel waited with baited breath to see what would happen, knowing when the two of them agreed on something the result was disastrously hilarious. Her eyes flicked back to the screen and she noticed a small red rubber ball bouncing warningly on the living room floor. Seconds later Leo was running after it sliding round the corner and into the conservatory, the screech of nails on the floorboards the only sound in the room. The screen split into two showing the shock and amusement on the sisters faces, while the other replayed Leo's many failed attempts to catch the ball. Once the sisters caught up to Leo the ball split into three bouncing in all different directions, Piper groaned as Leo's head twitched between the three, this was definitely not going as she wanted - though she had to admit it was hysterically funny. A frisbee appeared hovering in mid air momentarily before flying in the forth and final direction and obviously Leo's choice was made. His four legs frantically ran after the disk, his tail wagging a mile a minute. Once the frisbee was safely in his mouth drool dripping out the sides Mel got a victorious smirk on her face before changing him back to his human form.

Paige's eyes began to water as she fell to the ground clutching her sides in laughter the loud sound drawing Phoebe's attention as she walked in to find her now human brother-in-law steadily chewing a frisbee seemingly unaware of his actions. Phoebe smuggled her laughter behind her hand and even Piper let a few giggles through before moving to help Leo up. "There you go buddy, good boy." Piper's uncharacteristic mocking of Leo caused all eight occupants of the house to laugh themselves to tears while Leo simply scowled in confusion.

Once they pulled themselves together, Piper and Leo headed to the kitchen needing to feed Wyatt - an act which was going to give them some sense of normality amoung everything that just transpired. Paige and Phoebe quickly turned around giving the parents some time alone with their son as they headed towards the attic, knowing this was good for Piper and Leo.

Chris moved his hand dismissively and the silver screen disappeared leaving no trace that it was ever there. "Hey!" The disbelief in Parker's voice as he called out to his father who had let go of his ankle to remove the screen, leaving him hovering in mid air.

While most parents would be undoubtedly concerned about their son's wellbeing after hanging upside down for so long it did not phase Chris as he figured it was probably beneficial to him in the long run, plus it was amusing to listen to his jumbled thoughts. Chris sighed and reattached his hand laughing at Parker's continued look of disbelief. Smirked he recalled his telekinetic hold allowing Parker to begin flailing again. "I can't believe you let me go, just like that. I could have been seriously injured. Okay well maybe not seriously as you could have called Aunt Prue to come and heal me, and sure you held me steady with your telekinesis but it's the principle of the matter." Seeing he was not getting any response Parker simply sulked, his eyes pressed tightly together in annoyance.

Footsteps behind them alerted the group to the seriousness of their situation, before anyone could move or safely escape a voice sounded across the room freezing them all in their steps. "Hey Chris what's going on?" Phoebe stepped further into the room as he turned around, his expression somewhat sheepish.

"Nathan? Noah?" Paige's uncertain voice asked the question Chris was required to answer. Her lips turned down slightly as she pondered what was going on. However she instantly stepped back when she noticed the happy, carefree spark in his deep green eyes quickly disappearing - her movements almost an attempt at rewinding time and allowing them to continue uninterrupted.

"Please don't yell at Chris, we just wanted to see him quickly." Parker turned on his little kid voice and lisped on some of the words, knowing it was bound to work faster than anything his dad could have done. To seal the deal he ended with a small wavering but pleading smile and Phoebe and Paige were putty in his hands. _'Dial it down a bit.' _Chris focused on his son and waited for him to respond. _'Fine then put me down because I can't exactly shimmer out and Pey can't orb me out.'_ Chris tried to figure out the best way of getting his son down unharmed - sure he could hold him but he wasn't about to test his ability of flipping Parker with so many eyes on them, who knows what Paige and Phoebe would have to say about his abusive behaviour towards children. His eyes crinkled in annoyance before he heard a third voice enter the conversation. _'But I can orb you down, they've already seen me do it.' _Both sets of eyes flicked to Belle for a moment. With the slightest movement of his head Chris consented and Belle set towards releasing Parker from his upside down prison, landing him right side up. They all knew Chris could have done it in his sleep - not without being reprimanded - but it gave Belle a chance to practice in a stressful situation. And quite frankly it was better than any simulation, because honestly the Charmed Ones are a lot scarier than many of the demons.

Paige watched as Nathan was surrounded by the purple-blue orbs that they saw earlier from the young girl. Reforming next to Chris they watched him teeter and head towards a painful hip collision with the floor until he was pushed up by an invisible force.

Chris' eyes were focused on his son, though his mind was currently running through the steps with Belle. _'Sorry Chris, I tried really hard I guess I just over shot it a little.'_ Chris smiled at her and reassured his cousin through a small squeeze of her shoulder. Moving out from under his hand Belle went to stand next to Parker, her arm wrapping around the still unstable boy.

"You okay? Sorry about that I tried I was just rusty and a little off." Parker simply shrugged before moving into his cousin's hug. Mel came to stand by Parker and Belle waiting for them to be prepared to leave - she knew having so many of them in the same room as the women who had caused Chris so much pain over the last few months was a volatile situation and one they needed to escape.

Peyton sensing her aunt's next course of action wrapped her arms around her dad's neck and murmured into his chest. She missed her dad and did not want to leave him yet, she knew Belle and Parker didn't either and though she knew the good of the world was at stake all she really wanted was to stay. Chris tried to keep her calm knowing the glamour she was casting over them was strengthened or weakened by her emotions and too many bad ones would destroy their cover faster than you could blink.

"Jade, I assume your babysitting the kids." Phoebe kept her hands up in a non-threatening manner, having already seen what two of these people had done to Leo whether intentional or meant she was wary around them. "Did you want anything to eat while your here?" Her eyes locked on Jade's momentarily and she was able to read the brief flicker of doubt in them before they were as guarded as Chris'. "What about you Belle?" Quickly stepping into the role of a polite hostess her eyes flickering over all those in the attic, assessing any slight queues they accidentally let through.

"It's Isabelle." Belle knew she was being cruel but it was hard enough being in this world without the sisters calling her by her nickname reminding her of those they had lost in the future. Phoebe stepped back stunned by the hostile manner the young girl held towards her. It was obvious she was not Leo's biggest fan, but Phoebe couldn't figure out why she could have possibly held so much resentment against the rest of them.

Chris sighed drawing Phoebe's eyes and subtlety motioning to Parker. Parker stepped forward and asked Paige to take him to the bathroom, knowing it was best if Paige knew as little about what he was going to say as possible. "Look, we're running out of time here. So what do you say we get to use that Genie to make Piper and Leo... you know." Chris cringed at the thought of being conceived as a result of a wish - but he would do it, he'd do anything to save Wyatt and in turn the rest of his family. Melinda turned a slight pale of green as she wondered how her brother managed to stomach all these talks about their parent's extra curricular activities - no child wanted to think about that regardless of their current age.

"That's vile. And against the rules. I would think my nephew wouldn't want to be conceived that way." Chris laughed at Phoebe's ironic reasoning before turning to look at her as his tone turned melancholy, his eyes conveying the seriousness of his words.

"Well, beats not being conceived at all." Chris shrugged half-heartedly trying not to let just how bad the situation was hit him. Mel's eyes widened considerably as the repercussions of her brother's actions fully hit her - there was no way she was going to allow herself to go through life without Chris by her side, if it wasn't for him - she would have died numerous times or worse, she could have ended up like Wyatt.

As she began a long rant in her head a loud crash rang through the air. Her eyes locked with Chris and she got the message, grabbing Belle, orbed down to Parker before she orbed them out of there and straight to Natalie's. Seconds later Peyton appeared and Mel's arms wrapped, crying and screaming as Mel's arms wrapped around her, holding her firmly in place.

"Daddy!" Peyton writhed in her aunt's arms, desperately trying to return to her father. "No! Let me go!" Peyton's screams cut through all their hearts but Mel knew it was best Peyton and the rest of them weren't there, it only increased their chances of getting hurt which would distract Chris and get them all hurt in the long run.

When Bosk crashed through the window Chris instinctually orbed Peyton away before he could even process her protest - he had no idea what he was dealing with and normally he wouldn't mind but given that the sisters and their unending questions were present he couldn't let her stay. Chris' thoughts immediately locked on three things - why demons couldn't be more hospitable in terms of what they destroyed, why the Charmed Ones kept replacing the broken stuff and most importantly where could he get his own flying carpet, it would really piss Wyatt off that his little brother got me before him. Chris mesmerized by the flying material allowed Bosk to knock him to the floor with a well aimed sword even as Phoebe threw the potion at him - Chris scowled at his position and could only imagine Wyatt laughing his ass off as Chris landed on his backside. The pendent around Bosk's neck emitted an erie yellow glow, his tooth smirk increasing as the pendant blocked the potion, not even letting a drop pass through. "Not this time, witch."

Phoebe stumbled in shock before realizing they only had one option, no matter how uncertain it made her. "Jinny, I wish you free!"

Chris screamed in protest as the words left Phoebe's mouth, the one thing his aunt had always taught him was that wishes always have a catch and he couldn't afford one right now. His eyes regretfully trailed on the genie bottle as he pulled himself to his feet. Instantly the bottle was surrounded by pink smoke and Jinny emerged, her hair was tied in a tight no nonsense ponytail and her mouth was turned to a sneer. Chris took one look at her clothes and cursed, it was the main fashion of the future, so in other words she was a demon or a high level evil being - but at least he knew how to deal with those, in a way it was more reassuring than when she was a genie.

"Well, it's about time." Jinny snarled at Bosk, quickly creating a fireball in her palm as she waited for him to catch onto her plan - torturing her previous masters was half the fun of being free. "Who's the master now?" Her tone was as harsh as any higher level demons Chris had faced reinforcing his other observation and he was fuming that no one had ever thought it wise to share the ending of this wonderful chapter in 'The Charmed Ones Legacy'. It would of saved him a lot of trouble - even a once off 'hey kids in case you go back in time when we were dealing with a female genie, stop us because she's a demon'.

Bosk's screams brought Chris back to the present crisis, he quickly deflected a fireball sent towards Piper as she walked into the attic, her annoyance palpable to those around her. Piper eyes widened marginally as she noticed Jinny reaching for the bottle, not entirely sure of what happened, but knowing it was in their best interest to not let that happen she began preparing to fight. Piper smiled serenely as she felt the magic coursing through her veins waiting to be released, no matter how much she strived to be normal as knew that was a feeling she would never tire of.

"Chris!" Piper's cry redirected his attention to the troublesome genie, for a moment there he had seen so much of his mother n Piper that it was almost as if he was fighting alongside her nice again and just like always she kept him focused and on task. He reached out and closed his fist firmly around the bottle Jinny was trying to snatch away from him - smiling innocently at the enraged ex-genie, he squinted and watched as she flew backwards before righting herself and grabbing the still hovering carpet.

The flying carpet wobbled uneasily as Jinny jumped up but quickly leveled out under her weight. She sped out the window before Chris could get to his feet again, her eyes showing some of the fear that accompanied her underestimation of the Whitelighter and just how powerful he was.

All that remain was the stained broken glass littering the floor sending off unusual refractions of sunlight and a snagged strand of the purple carpet that had been trapped by a rusty nail on the windowsill. To Chris' disappointment it appeared the carpet wouldn't fly unless it was with a good portion of the rest of the carpet meaning the strand was useless in both aspects as from what he could tell it didn't belong to anyone and therefore could not be used to scry for Jinny.

"Where's Phoebe?" Paige voiced her thoughts out loud, rubbing her head with the palm of her hand she winced wondering how she could have let herself get thrown out so easily at the start of the fight. Sure she had been otherwise preoccupied in regards to worrying about Nathan's sudden abduction but once she'd materialized in the attic she realized exactly what had happened, and the only use she provided was a momentary distraction before being thrown roughly against the wall. Her shoulder was slightly cut and a small trickle of blood made it's way down her arm.

Piper helped her sister up, applying a small gauze to the wound to stem any bleeding. Paige's shirt had turned an unflattering shade as the blood merged with the fabric as she slowly peeled it from the sticky skin.

"Here. In here!" Phoebe's distant voice made Chris send a quick prayer that his thoughts were wrong, that his aunt was in no way a genie herself. Yet as he looked into the small bottle, an equally tiny Phoebe smiled up at him encouragingly. "Hello, Master." Chris' groan redirected Paige and Piper's attention to the engraved bottle that seemed to be the cause of all their problems.

Piper pushed Chris out of the way and grabbed the bottle from his hands, her ability to control him - even if it wasn't exactly nice - was one of the things that remained the same and that was something she was incredibly grateful for. "Will you come out of there, please?" Piper's words though kind contrasted her tone - which was even more demanding than usual. As Chris observed her body language he subconsciously moved further away knowing from years of experience that you don't want to cross Piper Halliwell when she is like this and knowing what they thought of him recently it was not exactly a far reach that he would be on the end of her rage if everything went even more pear shape than it already was.

"I can't. I don't know how. Try commanding me." Phoebe's voice sounded exactly like it usually did and Chris wondered how it was possible for Jinny to trick them all even just to the extent she did but then he realized just how high up the demonic chain she must have been and realized that she probably viewed the whole thing as some form of a game. Scowling as he remembered how he had ignored his body's own warning signals and cursed silently as he realized that he had backed himself into that situation simply because of the situation with Piper and Leo.

"Uh, okay. Get the hell outta there." Piper words were ground out as she tried to control her growing anger. Chris raised an eyebrow at Piper's statement and swallowed a laugh as he begrudgingly admitted that when he wasn't on the receiving end of Piper's anger it was often entertaining to watch the poor sucker who would usually begin quivering in terror. He had heard stories of his mother being much milder but everyone said since his Aunt Prue hadn't been around to take the lead and let Piper fall back into her old state of passiveness shed become much worse than Prue herself. Though until recently Chris had a hard time believing such a thing existed.

"No, not you." Phoebe looked awkward for a moment, her feet shuffled along the carpet floors of her bottle - scowling down as if that would solve her problem. Her fingers twisted the curtains distractedly before she turned to her sister and continued. "My... master."

Chris' eyes were filled with disbelief but also a bit of hope as he glanced into the bottle. His fringe brushed the tip as he peered at Phoebe hoping that what had happened was simply some intense dream or that he had developed premonitions so he could prevent all this from happening because it all seemed to go to be true. On one hand he really didn't want to be in charge of a genie as he often made wishes with no intention of them ever being filled, yet at the same time he couldn't afford to have one of the sisters being the master - odds are they would wish for something like him telling the truth and who knows how that one would turn out. "You mean me?"

"Well, yeah, you did pick up the bottle, didn't you?" Phoebe's tone of exasperation made the others laugh as they envisioned her tiny body mimicking her usual stance - arms crossed, a scowl in place, a perfectly sculpted brow arching in annoyance.

"Alright, get out of the bottle." When nothing happened, Chris sighed before adding the extra line he really didn't want to say. "I command you." The whole 'command' thing made him wince as he remembered all the times he'd been subjected to watching Wyatt command beings of both good and bad to do his bidding as requested.

Blue smoke rose out of the bottle and Phoebe appeared before them her attire blue where Jinny's had been pink. Piper couldn't hold in her laughter and bent in two, desperately trying to control her breathing, likewise Paige was on the floor clutching her sides tears once again streaming down her face, her eyes big and filled with laughter. The two people Phoebe was relying on were currently struggling to push through their own problems, the realization of which had her praying someone else was around to help.

"You look ridiculous." Piper voiced between chuckles and all Paige could do was nod along. Chris was smart enough to hold in his own views on the matter knowing it would simply result in him yelling at them for ensuring this delightful tale was left out of the book. As Phoebe glanced at her Master she saw his face was impassive and his eyes gave nothing away, so Phoebe begrudgingly had to admit that just like the incident with The Order she was grateful that their emotionless Whitelighter had been the one to pick up the bottle.

"I feel ridiculous." Phoebe looked down and fingered the soft material before cringing, her mouth pursed as if she had tasted something unpleasant starting a whole new round of laughter in her sisters. Her soft fingertips skimmed across her bare stomach, the light sensation making goosebumps splatter across the expanse of skin.

"I can't go back up there with this happening." Leo's voice caused the others to turn to him wondering at what point in the fight he had shown up anyway, Chris rolled his eyes trying to deduce if the elder had played any part in the fight or whether even a momentarily distraction that he could have provided would have stopped this from happening. Leo twitched his nose at the looks he was getting before inadvertently scratching at his ear, Chris swallowed a laugh as his mind replayed the whole incident again, he made a note to thank Mel after all this was over, the break that had given him was probably even better than he realised.

"Is that all you care about? Would you look at me. I am trapped in pantaloons right now. Where is the mirror?" Chris watched with rapt attention as Phoebe wondered over to their great Aunt Judy's mirror, her footfalls loud and demanding as she criticised her newest attire. Her brown eyes widened as she took in the newest shade of her hair. '_Blonde really why can't it ever stay the same.' _Turning to Leo she voiced her thoughts figuring if anyone was tuned into those magically frequencies it was the Elders and perhaps she could bargain her way through the next transformation to keep her hair. "Oh, and why do I always get stuck with the wig?"

"Trust me, you don't." Piper shook her head and thought of her own times in a wig, frowning in annoyance before she caught sight of Phoebe and Leo. "Leo!"

The subject of Piper's anger looked up startled and realised he had been slowly inching closer to the busty blonde. Leo immediately jumped back before Piper found a way to do irreparable damage, however he really didn't think he could be blamed for his action when he was with Piper it was like a drug. All those years before her he hadn't known what he was missing, but now he was addicted. Every minute away from that fed his withdrawal and it had been a while since he had seen that much skin. After all, the Elders were always dressed in conservative robes and apparently being that passive means your not allowed to be horny something that did not bode well with Leo.

Piper began pacing, wearing tracks in the floor as she tried to work her mind around many of the issues she was putting off until later. "I still can't believe you made a wish with a Genie. You know better than that." Piper's tone was so judgmental that even Chris felt sorry for Phoebe a moment before remembering that it was partly her fault. After all it wasn't the other two sisters who never wanted to speak about their past as a genie. Had he known this particular story it could have been prevented and then she would have nothing to tell them even if she wanted to.

"I thought she was an innocent. How was I to know that I was gonna unleash a demon." Phoebe's frown deepened when Leo picked up the bottle and eyed it curiously. His mind seemed to be working something over and they all groaned in anticipation of a lecture.

"It says so right here." His voice had a casual tone to it as if they should all go around reading Arabic, causing them all to glare at him. Well everyone except Chris who was internally berating himself for being so distracted. One of his powers that helped him as leader of The Resistance was Omnilingualism. Meaning not only was he able to converse in every known language plus a few unknown ones, but reading them was as easy as pie. His clouded mind had simply thought they were just decorative designs. Chris' mental tirade immediately fell short when he noticed Leo's look of smug superiority and knew that it was only a matter of time before the man taunted his lesser abilities.

"There's a warning label on the Genie bottle?" The incredulousness in Piper's tone had Chris re-focusing on Leo knowing he was going to give a background story to placate his high-maintenance wife, Chris may love his mother to bits but even in the future she was often a handful.

"Yeah. An ancient sorcerer condemned a demon into the bottle for not marrying him. It says whoever tried to free her they have to switch places with her." Leo turned his gaze to Chris and smirked, patting him on the back as he continued. "Missed a big one here, bud."

The condescending smirk plastered across Leo's face had Chris growling in annoyance, he continued to seethe even as his heart tugged at the term of endearment - _bud_ - he would have killed to hear any form of affection or connection as a child but now it simply rubbed him the wrong way. Turning to the Elder, Chris immediately lashed out, his eyes cold and calculative, his gaze steady and the anger rolled off him in waves so strong the sisters simply took a step back because subconsciously they knew Chris was a ticking bomb. "You wanna pin this on me?" The lights in the room flickered slightly as Chris focused on taking deep breaths. However it did not seem to be making a difference, years of resentment were picking this moment to make themselves known. Unwilling to show them how much Leo had gotten to him, Chris willed something to help calm him down. His thoughts were immediately answered when he felt the familiar whisper of thoughts in his mind.

'_In... Out... In... Out. Deep breaths.' _Chris could hear Parker's reassuring voice echoing through his mind. It was quickly accompanied by the sound of Peyton's heart beat, the steady thrum pulsing behind his eyes and forcing his own to match it. Parker's words managed to help him focus until his own heart was once again beating in time with his daughters'. The lights went back to their normal state and the only give away of his emotional state was the old Lion statue that was close to flying off a shelf. Discreetly Chris moved his hand and the statue was back in place.

Though the sisters had been aware of his state of unease none of them had realised the severity of what had just happened, honestly they didn't even truly notice the lights. It was simply a flicker easily attributed to the old wiring. Instead they had carried on the conversation around him figuring Chris would figure out any of his issues on his own.

"Well, the only way to fix it is to get the demon to wish Phoebe free, reverse the magic." Chris said calmly once he was back in control, grateful they had - luckily - not noticed his slight slip.

"That's what we need to do then, I do believe the element of surprise is very important here." Phoebe responded before Chris could talk again. "Piper how was Greg, sorry to pull you away from him."

"We should talk about something else." Chris whispered to Phoebe. His voice soft but strong, there was no mistaking the underlying command in his words.

"Yes Master..." Phoebe growled slightly pulling at her long blonde hair as she gazed up at her infuriating Whitelighter. "How am I supposed to take charge and take commands all at the same time?" She whined it was bad enough having to be dressed in the ridiculous costume but having no say in any matter was not what she had signed on for.

"Well, you won't have to. Chris is coming back up there with me. The Elders have agreed to send him back to his time. Well him, the girl and the two cloaked people." Leo's sentence caused Chris to momentarily freeze. His heart rate speeding up again as he thought of what Wyatt would to Belle, Prue, Cole and himself. The only reassuring factor was that he didn't know about Pey, Parker and Mel. If worse came to worse, he'd cloak Belle from the Elders permanently - well at least until his death - and then Mel could complete the mission while keeping his kids safe.

"What?" Chris' eyes flickered in rapid succession as he processed exactly what Leo had just said. "You'll only harm yourself in the long run." When Leo didn't respond Chris decided it was time to knock him off his pedal stool at least momentarily. "Beside's you'll never find them. The magic I've used to cloak them is ambivalent to time and no Elder or source has _ever _been able to locate the people I've hidden in there." He silently added that the only exception was when they were led back by a member of the Resistance or as Prue herself had proven earlier with the tracer demons. "The few Elders that remain in my time have proof of that." Chris quickly scanned his newest memories and was glad to see that with the help of the few 'resurrected' Halliwells, Chris had found the magic and strength to add 3 more bases and save two that had fallen in his original memories, thereby bringing his Resistance bases to a number of 10 world-wide. San Francisco was both lucky and cursed in a sense. The largest and highest protected base was there however the city was the centre of the destruction - it was the largest city to contain hat level of damage without being entirely eliminated.

Leo ignored the hit about the low number of Elder's in Chris' time, for all he knew Chris was simply making it up to hurt him, instead he focused on the negativity that flooded him when faced with Chris' stubbornness and continued once again. "You don't belong here. And as your Whitelighter he's doing more harm than good." The second half of the sentence was directed at the Charmed Ones. They all simply looked at Leo in a mix of disgust, betrayal and contempt. Even Piper understood that whatever Chris was doing here, her son was mixed up in the middle of it and if what he said was true, Chris was their only link to the future - the only way to save their son, their golden child and she was not going to give that up simply because they disliked the guy's methods.

Before they even had the chance to respond, Chris had begun anew. He knew his father was pigheaded but he'd just reached a new rung on the ladder. "You're so full of it. This isn't about me being a bad Whitelighter, it's about you feeling like I've let you down somehow. So whatever issues you might have with me, I wish you would just get over it already." Running a hand through his messy hair the only thought going through his head was 'oh shit' as he watched Phoebe put her hands together and blink, this was the exact reason he never wanted to be a 'master'. Turning back to the Elder, he quickly tried to figure out what exactly he had wished for and what price it had come at. "Leo?"

Leo's laugh caused Chris more worry than his threats. "Of course I forgive you, man. You don't have to yell. All you gotta do is ask..." Leo trailed off as of his mind was fighting against it's thoughts before he shook it and began again, "and listen, with all that whole going back to the future thing, you know, don't even worry about it because I'll talk to the other Elders and we're gonna work it all out, okay? It's no big deal, okay? Come on, give me a hug." Leo's words were rushed and crushed together in a breathless blurt that had everyone in the room stepping back as if it was contagious.

Chris was suddenly engulfed in a huge hug and struggled relentlessly against the older and bigger man. He knew he could easily get out of it - even without magic there were at least thirty '2 step' options he could use, but doing that would only achieve one of two things. Firstly, lead to an uncomfortable conversation about why he had those skills, which would probably mean he would have to tell them about some of the things Wyatt had done and that would most likely be in great amount of detail - destroying not only the sisters unusual but useful treatment of the baby but also hindering his newfound somewhat easier relationship with them. Or he would injure the man and end up further isolating himself from the Elders - not that he minded so much it would just slightly hinder his cause - the main problem was the repercussions that his dismissal in regards to the Elders would have on the sisters along with hurting their precious Leo.

The Charmed Ones left the attic planning amongst themselves and individually laughing at Chris' struggles to be released from Leo's vise like grip. Once they were out of sight, Chris sent a bolt of magic through Leo rendering him temporarily unconscious before orbing out. Many hours of therapy were just wasted, between his father and brother he had enough material to go to therapy for the rest of his life - however long that was. For now he needed to go talk to the next best thing - his family would undoubtedly know how to deal with this newest development.


	15. I Dream of Phoebe Part 3

Chris ran his hand along the familiar grooves of the walls leading up to the attic, sure in the future there were a few move dips and cracks but the fundamental groundwork was the same, something that he drew a strange level of comfort from. "Hey, Piper says they're ready for those crystals. Genie Phoebe's getting on her last nerves down there." Chris walked into the attic knowing Leo was unfortunately already awake, however the sight before him rendered him temporarily speechless. "What are you doing?"

Leo was hunched over a piece of paper his pencil flying across the page, his disarrayed blonde hair and obvious sign of his distress and as Chris' eyes scanned the attic he took in the balls of crushed paper flooding the room - a feeling of dread settled in his stomach as his eyes caught sight of a line of writing on one of the papers. Moving his hand Chris caused all the paper to fly into the waste bin - personal gain be damned. He'd take whatever magic wanted to throw at him over Piper's current anger, anger that would only increase if she saw the mess. Currently ever little thing that could go wrong, was not only going wrong but Piper seemed to have decided it was Chris' fault. In a way he understood what she was doing but it still hurt like hell and he could feel his heart hardening with each blow.

Leo looked at Chris, his eyebrows scrunched together in concentration, his eyes filled with regret and self-frustration. "Writing you an apology. I just, I can't seem to get it right." Chris almost laughed as he took in the almighty Elder who currently looked about as powerful as a wounded puppy. He chuckled silently picturing the golden retriever again - Mel was definitely right when she said that one would never get old. However as his mind swiftly processed the statement, he understood what Leo was saying but the idea of _another_ apology letter from Leo even if it was _technically_ the first one date wise and probably the only one where he was not blamed in the duration of the text made his blood boil.

"Leo, come on, man, you don't need to do that." Chris words came out through clenched teeth and his hand unconsciously ran across his brand reminding himself that the man in front of him was the one who let things get so out of hand. So stubborn, so sure that his precious son, his_ only_ child was incapable of being evil and that it must be those other two who were truly evil beings who wanted to turn him against his son. If there was one good thing Chris found in Leo's death it was the look of disbelief when his Wyatt ran him through with the newly sharpened Excalibur - ironically sharpened thanks to Leo. His stubbornness was his true Achilles' heel and it finally caught up with him.

"No, I know I don't need to but I want to. It feels good to forgive." Leo's positive attitude made Chris groan in annoyance as it seemed the pacifist - forever positive - ways were ingrained into Leo Wyatt's very soul. Ways that often clashed with Chris' own very realistic views on life. The views that started on Mel's first birthday when he realised Leo would _always_ come for the golden child no matter if the issue was he needed his shoelaces to be tied but he had not come to any of Chris' birthday parties, and he missed Mel's first birthday but honestly Chris couldn't remember a time when his father had ever acknowledged his presence.

"Yeah, why don't you just hold onto that feeling, okay? We've gotta go help the sisters." Realising that pushing the issue was getting him nowhere he decided to let the thing drop and redirect the conversation. Chris turned on his heel, pulling at his shirt hemline - a habit he had employed as a kid to distract him from Leo's presence, a started downstairs but Leo quickly interrupted him.

"Alright, well, in a minute. This is just as important. '_Dear Chris...' _"

Chris's eyes hardened before he grabbed Leo's arm in an iron-tight grasp. His training once again coming in handy as he forcefully moved the man who was two times bigger than him into the hallway. "Alright, alright, enough already. You said you're sorry, let's just not go overboard."

"Okay, but after everything I've put you through, I feel like I owe it to you." Leo's words were soft but determined and Chris took an involuntary step back dropping Leo's arm like it burned. However it didn't seem to deter him as he continued looking at Chris with apologetic eyes.

Everything was quiet save for the deep breath Chris took before speaking. "Honestly, a letter's not gonna mean a hell of a lot to me. I got plenty of them growing up." Chris seethed as he focused on not losing control both magically and physically - after all it wouldn't take a lot to ensure Leo was unconscious for the next little while an idea that was growing increasingly appealing.

"I'm sorry." Leo's question came out as more of a statement as he felt like he needed to apologize for Chris' past. Another person's future mistakes, yet he couldn't remove the feeling in his gut egging him on.

"Uh, from my father. He wasn't around much." The cold, distant Whitelighter had returned, his walls higher than they had even been before but Leo steadily ignored it, his magic muddled brain not possessing the ability to care about anything else Exocet getting Chris to forgive him.

"That's awful. You wanna talk about it?" Leo's sincerity had Chris staring at him in disbelief wondering how his one accidental wish had changed so much. Then again Phoebe's wish had made her a genie. Instead of letting his mind wander he focused on the pain of Leo's future screw ups and channeled that anger to get what he wanted.

"No. What I want for you is to grab the crystals and go downstairs to where Piper is. Do you remember her?" Sarcasm. That should have been Leo's final clue, the Chris from earlier in the year was making a reappearance and Leo would get nothing more out of him, but as always Leo remained as stubbornly thick headed.

"Sure. But right now I'm a little more concerned about you. You seem a little stressed." Chris fought to not throw the man across the room, his mind quickly assessed the situation and instead he saw an opening. A way to get what he wanted, what he needed. Forcing down the smirk that was forming on his lips he redirected Leo's attention inwards hoping for the best solution he could think of.

"Yeah, you're damn right I'm stressed. I'm concerned about you two. You two need to get back together already. Any chance that's gonna happen?" Chris knew he was pushing it, but if he could get them back together without magic or potions or anything other than reminding them of their love for one another that was okay with him.

"I don't think so. But thanks for caring, man. It means a lot." Leo had already begun walking down the stairs and Chris orbed in front of him. Leo barely reacted he just attempted to sidestep Chris without even so much as an eye roll. Chris couldn't help but admit that Phoebe's wish granting skills worked even better than he imagined. However he couldn't hell but wonder what could have possibly happened in the original timeline that caused Phoebe to hide this story from them - without Chris around she wouldn't have done anything to Leo - and nothing too disastrous had happened so far, but with the sisters you never know what they might have wished for.

"Wait. You still love her, I know you do. How could you just throw that away?" Chris' voice had taken on a pleading quality as he argued with the infuriating man before him. His eyes flashed with an emotion Leo couldn't place but it seemed more than friendly concern.

"It's a little personal don't you think?" Leo's question was probably meant to be rhetorical but Chris answered him anyway, albeit under his breath.

"More than you know." Turning to Leo he spoke in a louder and more persuasive tone. "Look, are you telling me that there is no chance that you and Piper are gonna hook up in let's say, I don't know, the next couple of weeks?" At Leo's nod, Chris audibly groaned. Leo to looked at him in apprehension and decided ward off any further questions.

"Actually, yeah, that's what I'm saying. We've both moved on, and nothing short of a miracle can make that happen." Leo's voice was strong, determined and brokered no arguments. Chris was refusing to be strayed and figured if Greg had been called by magic to their aid then magic clearly wanted Chris to use him.

"A miracle, no. More like a guy who stands your wife up and leaving me to find her crying in the hallway. You might not deserve her, but she sure as hell does not deserve that." With that being said Chris orbed into the conservatory where the sisters were working. The scowl that they hadn't seen in a few weeks seemed back with determination and Paige briefly wondered what had happened with Leo to cause Chris to revet back to his old behaviour. She sighed quietly, recent Chris had been a lot easier to deal with but it looked like the damage was done.

Her query was answered moments later when Leo walked in after Chris clasping him on the back before chuckling to himself. "Here's those crystals you wanted." His words were addressed solely to Piper and Chris quickly wondered if what he had said about Greg had managed to get into Leo's closed off mind. It would probably be the first time Leo had ever listened to something he had to say, but perhaps the wish had solved that problem for him.

Paige watched as Leo placed the box on the table before turning her attention to the two males in the room. "You guys sure are chummy." Her voice was a mix of amusement and disbelief. But she leaned back slightly when Chris turned to her. She wouldn't quite label what he was doing as glaring but it seemed to be heading that way. His eyes were a cold, emptiness that sent a shiver down her spine. What was even worse is that Paige had a feeling this was one of the few times when Chris had his 'mask' off and he actually was that dead inside. If this was the case she was certainly grateful for Belle and the two little ones as they seemed to be able to lighten him up better than anyone else anyway.

"Yeah, I had a change of heart. Decided to let bygones be bygones." Leo's tone was stopping anyone from contradicting him and they all looked at Phoebe slightly impressed by the complete attitude change she had managed to give Leo. Phoebe sighed as she tried to figure out if this was going to have some serious repercussions but at the moment the only thing it seemed to have done was stop Chris from being recycled and managed to put Chris in an even worse mood than he was usually in.

"Really?" Piper looked at Leo as if she was analysing how much of this attitude was actually him and how much was Phoebe's genie influence. Running a distracted hand through her tangled brown hair trying focus on the problem at hand - she cast her worries about Leo to the side, she knew she would always love him and therefore care about him, but changes in attitude weren't her concern anymore. Even if they were a result of her sister's new genie status.

"You know, Chris is a hell of a guy. You should give him a chance once in a while." Chris shuffled uncomfortably on his feet, Phoebe noticed his eyes were fixated on the hem of his shirt as his fingers picked at a loose string, somehow attempting to distract himself from the praise. Her brow furrowed when she saw his eyes were hollow as if his mind was trapped in a place only he could see. The shudder that ran through her body was covered when Chris jumped up when the doorbell rung - his body had been on the edge of the couch but the speed with which he reacted almost seemed to convey that he knew it was going to happen.

Paige quickly got up, pushing their whitelighter back down into the couch her eagerness to get out of the uneasy room overshadowing Chris' need. Opening the oak door, she stepped back slightly as she took in Richard's form and the determined set of his face. Fighting back a sigh she realised this was going to be a long and much needed conversation that she desperately wished could be put off for a while longer.

"Hey." His voice was rough, angered and steely the combination of which informed Paige of more than she figured he wanted her to. She could tell he had ignored the intervention she had organised with his ghostly relatives and the sole alive one, that action infuriated her more than anything. Richard's family was one of the reasons she was slowly coming around to believing that Wyatt may in fact turn evil and the fact that Richard couldn't see she was simply trying to help emphasised that maybe they didn't have the relationship either of them believed they did.

"Richard. What are you doing here?" Paige cast a glance at the collection of 'gifts' she had received over the day, gifts that had proved that Richard was using his powers again. Sure Paige and the rest of her family occasionally ignored the idea of personal gain - but it was as if Richard was going for the record. Paige steeled herself trying to ignore the overwhelming urge to scream or slamming the door in his face.

Richard allowed his eyes to travel over the Paige's head and take in the manor, he momentarily wondered if Paige was able to feel the magical aura it exuded - quite frankly the rush he got from just standing inside it was worth the argument he had no doubt Paige would begin. Reluctantly he brought his eyes back to her vivid ones, their deep shade telling him just how much she was holding back. "I, uh, came to apologise."

As the words left his mouth a bunch of red roses appeared in his arms and Paige knew that their time together was swiftly coming to an end. Her mouth turned down and she pinched her nose hoping it would give her the calm to continue. Instead a series of unpleasant arguments followed testing Paige's patience with the man she had once thought she was falling in love with. Her hair was flying with each shake of her head, her hands clenched into fists by her side, still refusing to accept the extended rose. A loud thud followed by a crash from the other room had Paige running, her hair flying behind her as her body moving to an attack stance - in her mind she still had to make up for the earlier instance when she'd been down for the count.

"Ow!" The involuntary exclamation left his lips as Chris' head crashed through one of the glass cabinets, the room spun as black dots clouded his vision - the impact of the force doing more damage than he realised. Surrounded by the thieves in Aladdin appropriate clothing had stunned Chris to the point where he had dropped the bottle as he was thrown across the room, he scowled as possible consequences of his unpreparedness ran through his mind. A sharp pain travelling up stomach brought his thoughts away from strategies as he noticed the shard of glass imbedded in his side, blood pooling onto the hardwood floor's that had already seen too much blood by this point. Noticing Paige peeling round the corner he called out to her knowing that she would at least listen since it involved her sister's safety. "Mind the bottle, Phoebe's inside."

Chris' hands quickly came into contact with a sword, using his palms he twisted it away from the half-vanquished demon using his powers to finish it off. Paige could have sworn a small smile flittered over his face before his expression returned to a cold look. His eyes took on a calculative quality as his body relaxed into a fighting stance that Chris held with more familiarity than he had held at any point around the sisters.

"It's been a while since I've used one of these, I hope you don't mind that I'm a bit rusty." Chris knew it was probably best not to taunt the demon but it had become one of the only fun aspects of his dark future. With a flick of his wrist he spun the sword testing the weight and his neglected skills. With an excited smile he resumed taunting the demon, since the demons he fought generally made the moves you expect them to, even more so when taunted - it was if they reverted back to a basic setting. Sure enough as the demon stalked forward their swords met in a clash of metal. The sharpened instrument moved through the demon's flesh with surprising ease and within seconds the demon was vanquished. Chris turned to look for another, the adrenaline of a vanquish coursing through his veins giving him a natural high not wanting to let it go just yet his mind almost wished for more demons. Seeing his next target a serene smile overcame his features and he allowed the familiar movements to overcome him.

Once all the demons were vanquished Chris turned around to see Paige trapping Jinny in the crystal cage. His eyes flicked to the floor where the bottle had initially ended up, before switching back to Paige only to see her hands bare as well. "Where's the bottle?" Turning around he saw Richard holding the bottle, the glint in his eyes eerily similar to the one Wyatt had at the beginning of his reign - it was the thrall of absolute power.

"Richard." Paige's voice was similar to what one would use when trying to soothe a wild animal, her hands slowly moved forward to placate him. However before she could take more than one step forward Richard disappeared with the bottle clutched tightly in his power hunger fist.

Chris let his eyes sweep through the room taking in the damage they had accumulated, growling in annoyance he ran his eyes over Jinny and knew they would not be able to hold her in the crystals for much longer, quite honestly with the reinforcements she has at her disposal, he was very surprised Paige managed to capture her in the first place. That's not to say she is incompetent, but rather the Charmed Ones - especially recently as a result of their _separate _lives were not used to taking on such powerful enemies together, let alone one on one.

"You think these crystals can hold me?" Jinny made no attempt of hiding her views on the idea, flicking her hair as she glared at them - the difference between the genie version of Jinny and her true form shone through clearer than Chris ever thought possible. However like all demons Jinny's ego caused her to reach out a smugness engrained in her features only to be flung back as the crystals zapped her. Chris smirked as she nursed her hurt hand, trying to clear as much smoke as possible from her burning flesh his amusement grew as she attempted to relocate herself as far away from the five crystals as possible and thusly ended up right in the middle again.

Paige clucked her tongue demeaningly, enjoying the way Jinny's lips pursed together to hold back any insults that would only hurt her cause. "Nope, not for long. That's why we're putting you back in your bottle." Paige's tone was filled with fake absolution and she watched from the corner of her eye as Chris slowly retreated into the living room, his hunched form indicating something was seriously wrong.

"When I form my empire, the first thing I'm gonna do is rid the world of _witches_." Jinny spat the last word at the already irritated red head her blood boiling as she remained trapped within the degrading cage. After all that tim in her bottle, she was supposed to be out now, not simply trapped in a less furnished prison.

Paige rolled her eyes, her tongue wetting her lips as she bought herself time to think, casting the entertaining fantasies as to what she would like to do to Jinny aside, she allowed only one to carry out - Jinny exploded with a flick of Paige's hands finally vanquishing the bitch, sure all she had to do was swap powers with Piper, but that was no big deal. Right? Turning back to the fuming genie, she allowed her back up fantasy to be expressed. "Oh, yeah? Well, when you're back in your bottle, the first thing I'm gonna do is put you in the microwave." She laughed happily, enjoying the way Jinny's mouth turned to a scowl. "How do you like that?" Turning on her heel Paige walked into the living room in time to see Chris place a blanket over an unconscious Piper and Leo, their faces were ones of complete serenity that Paige hadn't seen on either of them for over a year. "Think she can scare me." Grumbling under her breath she cast one last look at the pair and if it weren't for the nagging feeling in her gut, Paige would have gladly let them be, they both deserved some peace and happiness and apparently the only was to achieve that was through unconsciousness. Sighing she brushed a piece of hair back from Piper's face, tucking it behind her ear before addressing Chris. "They're still asleep? Have you tried smelling salts?"

"It won't work," at Paige's look of curiosity Chris let his eyes meet her hoping they conveyed the honesty of his follow up remark, "trust me." Chris begrudgingly allowed the words to fall from his lips as he hunched over, suppressing a wince. Steading himself with a blood covered hand on the wall, Chris shook his head knowing that if Piper woke up and saw his bloody handprint he was in for it. Grabbing the protruding shard of glass, between two fingers on his other hand he tried to sort out the best way to pull it out with minimal pain and blood loss, scowling he took a deep breath and uselessly tried to find purchase on the slippery object.

"What's wrong with them?" Paige instinctually knew it was something magical and was determined to know what exactly had happened. She didn't take her eyes off her sister or Leo, silently watching their bodies move looking for any indication that they were going to wake up or take a turn for the worst. So wrapped up in her examination of the pair she nearly missed Chris' whispered response.

"It's a long story." Chris' words were simple, automatic, machine like and he sighed when he realised that would undoubtedly send Paige on a war path. Picking at every little comment until she got the answers she so desperately sought.

Paige's ears perked as she noticed the change in Chris' demeanor and wondered how he had managed appear to have turned off his emotions as if it was nothing more than a flip of a switch. There was no pain, no regret, nothing. Not even good emotions were present.

"I don't know, why don't you give me the cliff notes version." Paige turned to face the whitelighter, growing increasingly tired of his evasiveness. She wasn't used to her eldest sister being out of action and it was unsettling to say the least. "Come on, Chris. What is going on?" Paige raised an eyebrow in challenge, trying her hardest to adopt Piper's stance and threatening tone - the only thing she had ever seen extract answers from the tight lipped whitelighter - and to her surprise it appeared to work.

Chris was worn out, his world was spinning while he was working on not throwing up from what he could only assume was more blood loss than he realised. He didn't have the energy to raise his head anymore which meant he had even less to lie.

"Alright, I made a little wish." Chris' voice was soft, pained and with his head tucked down he looked like a boy being scolded for having a cookie before dinner. The image released unexpected feelings of warmth with her but Paige pushed it to the side focusing on the feelings that were rapidly developing within her. As her anger took over Paige stood straighter prepared to fight to her last breath if it meant she got the answers she deserved.

"Oh, great. It's not bad enough I have to worry about Richard, now I have to worry about you too." Her breaths were coming fast as the anger rushed out of her only to leave her lingering curiosity behind. "What did you wish for?" Paige couldn't help the words that escaped her lips since still wanted to know exactly what he could have said - how he could have worded the wish - to achieve this outcome.

Chris looked slightly green as he offered up the last piece of information. "For Piper and Leo to sleep together."

Chris' words were quiet and rushed but Paige heard them anyway. Her curiosity was immediately pushed aside by revulsion as she fought to untangle her thoughts. "You! Oh my god, you are sick! What is wrong with you? You're disgusting!"

Wincing at the words she was throwing at him, Chris fought the urge to scream the truth. Sure she had no context of why he'd made that wish and even with the context it wasn't a great thing to do, more than likely his mother would have been very disappointed in him. But Paige was making it out to be as if he was some hardened psychopath who got off on voyeurism, the thought of which sent waves of disgust down Chris' spine, but he knew Paige's words though painful were an acceptable cost if it meant he got to live. "No..." Chris tried to interrupt but Paige continued on her rant even adding in some pacing to make it worse. He knew it was too late by this point and very little save from the truth would be able to shut her up.

"You are some creepy registered sex offender from the future." Paige turned sharply at each extremity of the room, ignoring everything her whitelighter was saying as the words of his wish continued to echo in her mind, constantly reminding her of why she was so disgusted. Sure she and Phoebe had created a second, very different Mr. Right for Piper's birthday present but they in no means forced her to have sex with him.

Chris was blushing red well as red as he could go as his face continued to loose it's colour as a result of the sticky red substance still seeping through his fingers. He tried to sort through the fog that his mind had become trying to find what he could say, wishing she would just shut up. "No, no, no..." Still Paige droned on, oblivious to Chris' inner turmoil and undoubtedly the number of hours of therapy she would now be paying for.

"Oh my god, you are so gross." Paige's last line disgust was hidden under Chris' shouted revelation. Her mouth opened in shock as the words digested in her mind, ignoring the way Chris repeated it again as if to convince himself that he'd actually let that cat out of the bag.

"I'm here to save Piper and Leo's son." Chris finally fed up had accidentally blurted out the first thing that came to mind, though it was still a foggy mess and his breaths were becoming deeper as his body strived to conserve energy - his identity was his biggest secret, to the point where it was engrained in him to protect it - so even with his body fighting against him, he still caught himself before he gave away his true identity, the only thing keeping him sane.

"What?" Paige was confused, just a little while ago he'd said he was here to save Wyatt now he was here to save his little brother as well. How was it possible they had managed to so completely screw up Piper's children, that both of them needed saving from their neurotic Whitelighter.

"Their second son. I came back to save your family." Chris smiled weekly up at Paige hoping she believed him instead of continuing to call him a sex offender. Unfortunately for him, he could see her shock and disbelief so he allowed his shoulders to slump again, mentally preparing himself for the unending lecture he was about to receive from the remaining awake and sane Charmed One.

Shocking them both, Paige saw the truth lying in his defeated form. "You're serious." The conviction to her words had his head snapping up before he could stop it and Paige stared at Chris wondering how much more of their family he was going to have to save. How much more he was holding on to in order to keep them from suffering and how much he possibly kept inside to cause the emptiness that seemed to leak through him in moments of dropped masks.

"Yeah. Only now I've gotta save him. Because if Piper doesn't get pregnant in the next month, there is no me." Paige quirked an eyebrow not following the connection, waiting somewhat patiently for him to continue. "Their second son saved me when no one else could." Chris admitted with a slight smirk as he thought over his choice of words, he commended himself momentarily accepting his own self congratulations with Paige being none the wiser.

"This is all so wrong. And this has been such a long day." Paige lowered herself into the armchair opposite Piper and Leo, lying her head back for a moment as she attempted to stop the headache from ultimately forming. Allowing her eyes to drift open for a moment she realised she could no longer see Chris' floppy brown haired head anywhere. Given she had not heard the sound of orbs, she grew somewhat worried sitting up trying to see him. Trying to keep her head in the game she quickly realised he was now hunched over on the floor, two trails of blood following his path. One apparently from his hand which she figured had been used as support - the blood trail was heavier in places and in the shape of a smeared hand. While the other had presumably been used to stem the bleeding - bleeding that she was ashamed to admit she had not noticed. The second trail appeared to have come from the wound in his side, escaping without his notice.

Chris gritted his teeth together stopping the groan of pain from slipping through his lips, the newest angle the floor had provided him, made gripping the glass easier. Moving his free hand he orbed the first aid kit to him preparing to stitch up his injury even in his zoned out state. Paige watched mouth agape as he pulled the glass from his skin, the offending shard making squelching sounds as the blood moved around it. She watched as he placed pressure on the wound despite the obvious pain it caused him. Watched as he pulled out the stitching equipment and prepared to go to work. Watched as he appeared to give up on that idea and instead mumble under his breath the only word she caught being _help_.

Chris' tried to swipe the hair from in front of his eyes, his breaths were laboured as he attempted to call for the person he needed most. "Aunt Prue please help me. Please." Chris hoped she could hear him because he was losing blood far too fast and he couldn't stitch it up in time. Cursing himself silently he realised he had spent too long fighting the demons, too long arguing with Paige and now it was simply too late.

Paige noticed his eyes beginning to close and finally realised the severity of his injuries. Launching herself from the chair, she allowed her hand to move on instinct wanting to heal him, compelled by some unknown force to not loose her annoying whitelighter, because despite everything he put her though Paige had grown attached to the sarcastic man, finding his unending desire to complete his mission annoying and inspiring at the same time.

"It's no use Paige, you don't have that yet. Don't worry everything will be fine." Chris reassured her not even truly mentioning his own fears, fear that was unbeknownst to him reflected in his eyes.

Paige blinked back tears as she realised that even as he took what could be his dying breath he was using it to reassure her. The tears finally spilled over as she realised that as he lay bleeding out before her Paige could not think of anything to say to reassure the young man.

Chris still managed to scowl in annoyance as he accepted that after all these years of fighting, dodging Wyatt's deadly attacks along with his demons and just demons in general, it was going to be a shard of glass that took him out.

"Oh come now, don't think like that." Chris smirked as he heard his Aunt Prue's voice fill the room, he knew there was no issue in regards Paige recognizing her eldest sister's voice given that Prue had died before she'd reconnected. He felt her healing his wound, her non-corporeal mid-orb form tickling his skin as his strength slowly began building again. He could sense his Uncle supporting him from behind. Helping - well as much help as someone who was nothing more than a pile of purple orbs could - him stand and stay upright.

Paige rubbed her eyes a few times trying to tell if she was seeing this right, the feminine voice she had heard earlier filled her with a sense of comfort even as she looked to Chris, who simply stood up acting as if the whole near death experience thing hadn't happened.

The only thing that remained as evidence of the ordeal was his ripped, blood stained shirt and the marks on the wall. As soon as that thought crossed her mind, she did a double take flicking her eyes back to the spot where she was sure there had been blood trails, sure enough the lines of were gone nothing disturbing the calm paint of the lounge room. Paige stared at Chris - his face as calm as always - she couldn't believe how easy he had just altered it to make sure there was no trace of his accident.

:: :: :: :: ::

After Paige explained that she had to be the one to go to Richard's, that he was going to receive a power stripping potion whether he wanted to or not along with other plans that Chris dismissed once he realised he was being ordered to babysit his - unknown to Paige - parents and big brother.

So far it had been fairly simple, Wyatt had made very little fuss and Piper barely made a sound. It was Leo Chris was having the most trouble with and that was simply the fact that he couldn't associate such a calm face with the absentee, asshole of a father he'd had growing up.

The chime of the doorbell pulled Chris from his thoughts, grabbing Wyatt - the little boy happily went to his hip, wrapping his arms around Chris' neck, burying his face in the older man's shirt he clutched him tighter, knowing he didn't want to go to the door. As Chris opened the door, he sighed at the sight before him. Greg who was looking worse for wear looked at Chris as if he was possessed, taking a step backwards Greg curled his hand into a fist prepared to fight his way through and get Piper away from this mad man, who currently had the whole family trapped in his clutches. Chris spared a second as he looked at Greg's wild eyes that seemed incapable of staying still, his mind tried to figure out how the hell the fireman had managed to escape anyway, dismissing that thought he recalled all the crazy things the mortals had done when magic was first exposed and figured Greg was one of those types. Regardless of that he definitely understood why his family hadn't bothered to track him down or return him to Natalie's as it seemed for all his faults, Greg genuinely cared for Piper, his self preservation would have stopped him from running down the street screaming witch and the culmination of both would have led to his presence right in front of Chris. Chris seeing that Greg was seconds away from screaming his head off - screw all consequences type of screaming, brought his hand to the firefighters temple, feeling Greg's memories escaping through the conduit Chris provided. Chris sighed as he completed the process until Greg forgot all about the afternoon and only remembered standing up Piper.

"Aren't you supposed to be at work or something?" Chris' tone was harsh but he didn't exactly have time for this. His parents were unconscious, his aunt was a genie, his kids were - well who knows where the hell they were, not to mention what trouble they were up to but it all boiled down to one point. He seriously didn't have time for this.

"I'm on a break. I came to surprise Piper." Greg spat at Chris, he could feel his impatience with the boy growing alongside a feeling of intense fear that seemed to stem from some innate response. Honestly Greg was as annoyed with the young man as much as he was at Piper's ex, the fact that they never seemed to stop intruding on the pair during dates was a key component but it probably had something to do with the eerie similar eyes - and they way those eyes seemed to peer into his soul knowing what he was thinking.

Chris made a sound of understanding that was overlaid with the cold knowledge of someone left to pick up the pieces of a hurt woman. "Oh. Little booty call, huh?" Inwardly Chris was cringing at the vulgar words leaving his mouth, he could feel Wyatt's distress at seeing Greg so casually perched in the archway. But he pushed those aside knowing anything that annoy the firefighter was beneficial to the master plan of getting Piper and Leo back together.

"Is she here?" Greg's tone was cold and he was obviously out of patience. Every fibre in his body was telling him to get away from the young man in front of him. Greg shifted impatiently as he awaited an answer that unfortunately only Chris could provide.

"No, sorry, she's sleeping." Chris started to close the door but Greg pushed on it to stop him. His face was set as he glared at the young man. He allowed that feeling of complete anger to overrule his fear and set a steady foot inside the house.

"I don't believe you." Greg's words were hissed and he watched as Wyatt's eyes seemed to glow with red, something nagged at the corner of his mind and try as he might he was unable to reach whatever it was.

Chris smirked, Greg was a smart man who listened to his instincts but in this case it was probably best he headed Chris' words. It would certainly save him any pain over what was guaranteed to happen next, sure the last thing Chris wanted was to see his m- Piper as vulnerable as she had been earlier today but he was not going to risk his existence anymore either. "Okay, see for yourself."

Ignoring the obvious warning in Chris voice, Greg roughly moved past him and looked in the living room his eyes widening as he took in the scene. Piper and Leo were curled into each other asleep on the couch, Piper's hand was resting over his heart and a serene smile was plastered across her face.

Chris waved his hand and Piper fell closer to Leo, unsurprisingly Leo's hand fell of it's own accord to rest on her shoulder seeking her familiar body heat and scent. Chris' actions caused the two to snuggle even closer oblivious to their audience but also sealed the fate for Greg - it was obvious the couple loved each other very deeply even if they didn't realise it yet and it was wrong of him to stand in the middle of that. "Do you want me to tell her you stopped by?" Chris' voice brought Greg out of his reverie as he slowly made his way back to the door, his head shaking of it's own accord.

"Uh, no, that won't be necessary." Chris felt a small pang of sympathy for the man but as he closed the front door he knew it was for the best, if Greg could manage to break free of his ties to the Halliwell's it would be beneficial for all involved.

"Sorry, Piper, it's for the best." Chris mumbled as he walked back into the living room, Chris was now even more determined than ever to keep them separate entities. Otherwise he won't be able to stop himself from trying to make her feel better if that look of absolute heartbreak crossed her features again.

Chris's footsteps stilled as he approached the lounge room, without looking inside he could tell there was an evil presence dominating the room, immediately sending Wyatt to Natalie's he continued into the room as if nothing was amiss. Unfortunately the situation was far worse than he'd thought. Jinny was standing over Leo and Piper a deadly fireball sizzling in her hand. Under normal circumstances he'd be able to take her, but this was not normal, nothing about this was normal and he had no way of beating her before she harmed Leo and Piper, both of whom were unfortunately fundamental to his very being.

"Take me to the bottle." Jinny's eyes had taken on a crazy glint that Chris realised he had come to associate with psychotic, power hungry evil beings. His eyes roamed the room, looking for something he could use to his advantage, but finding nothing that would cause significant damage, Chris quickly surmised the best way out was with the vanquishing spell that Phoebe and Paige had, reevaluating the room Chris realised dejectedly that there wasn't even enough space for him to attack without harming the two on the couch, especially with each of Jinny's shuffles closer. Hanging his head in defeat he stepped over to her orbing them to Richards hoping the other two had a better plan than his current one.

Unfortunately as he rematerialized in the spacious and somewhat creepy mansion, Chris saw that none of them were ready. Phoebe was no longer a blonde, nor in blue pantaloons, Paige seemed torn between annoyance and relief and Richard was missing.

"What are you doing here?" As soon as the words left Phoebe's mouth, Jinny threw a fireball at the pair causing them to duck, fighting to get back to their feet before another attack. Chris noticing his plan had gone awry attacked Jinny - his powers sidelined temporarily as he focused his still rebuilding strength into finding purchase on his skilled opponent.

Jinny mockingly yawned as she grabbed his significantly muscled arm and threw him across the room with a strength most didn't believe she had. Smirking she watched as the whitelighter fought off unconsciousness, while the other two Charmed Ones scrambled to their feet trying to reassess their position. Without waiting a moment longer she picked up the bottle, surprised at it's lightness, for some reason she thought an object of such power would have weighed a lot more than it did, the only thing that set it apart from any other ancient object was the slight heat it emitted, a heat that contrasted with the otherwise cool metal. "Genie, I wish the Charmed Ones dead." Jinny's smug, ominous words rung through the room as Richard appeared in slightly more conservative version of Phoebe's genie outfit, his eyes filled with dread as he locked eyes with Paige and desperately tried to defy her command. Despite all his best efforts all he could do was listen as Jinny laughed maniacally as Paige and Phoebe fell to the floor.

"No!" Chris' pain filled screams filled the room as he rushed to their sides. His hands went to each of their necks trying vainly to find a pulse, no matter how faint, anything to tell him he hadn't just made the future worse than it already was.

Jinny's sickly sweet voice filled the air drilling down deep into his consciousness, mocking him endlessly. "My condolences." Her gleefully evil smirk was the last thing he saw before she disappeared.


	16. I Dream of Phoebe Part 4

"No. You can't be dead yet. It's not your time. I know it's not your time." Tears were flowing from Chris' emerald eyes, all he could see was a comparison of this death and the ones he had witnessed in the future, that feeling of complete helplessness overwhelmed him just as it had previously, his body shook with uncontrollable sobs and feeling a smaller pair of arms wrap around his body he allowed himself to fall into her arms images of broken and bleeding bodies swarming his vision and making him feel sick.

"Chris! What happened." Belle's soft voice brought Chris out of his pity party and he quickly pulled himself together, moving out of his cousin's comforting hug. His face hardened with what could only be described as determination and just like that Chris was back and in charge. Belle smiled inwardly knowing she had done her job, Chris paced muttering to himself as his mind ran over various scenarios. "This is not it, this is not the end. I won't let it be."

Chris and Belle were brought out of their contemplative haze as Phoebe and Paige's spirits floated out of their bodies, just like the rest of their family if you squinted and turned to the right light you could almost pretend they were still alive. Chris following Belle's thoughts decided this was not one of those situations, he didn't risk everything just to come back and end up killing his aunts prematurely. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. She was gonna kill Piper and Leo and I thought we could handle her. But I will find a way to fix this I promise."

Paige shook her head, her eyes filled with sympathy as she tried to reach out and comfort the young man who only seemed more unnerved by her actions. "Hey, Chris, we're not moving on." Phoebe pointed out as she looked at their Whitelighter who though seemed startling comfortable with their ghostly form as long as they did not try to interact with him, was much more put together than he had been seconds ago. Apparently compartmentalizing was something he was incredibly good at and Phoebe silently envied him wondering if her life would have been easier if she could only compartmentalize.

Paige pulled her eyes from their thinking whitelighter, instead focusing on her sister. "Why aren't we moving on?" Phoebe cocked an eyebrow at Paige's question but understood she'd probably repeated it for her own sake.

"Who cares? You're still here." Belle raised an eyebrow at their antics as she continued to fix her hair into a makeshift french braid, given that she was here she may as well fight - Chris couldn't very well deal with Jinny and two unsettling Charmed One spirits on his own. Her outfit quickly cycled until she was dressed in a pair of black leggings and a running top, flexing her muscles, Belle smiled happily as she felt the familiar strain. Feeling Chris touch, her wrist Belle looked down and saw the thankful look he shot her, he needed her right now - even if he wasn't able to admit it aloud they both knew it was true. She smiled at him in acceptance, before turning back to the sisters who were still questioning their state as spirits trying to decipher why they wouldn't move on.

"Got any unfinished business?" Phoebe laughed in response to Paige's question before shaking her head and running a hand through her thankfully back to normal brown hair.

Phoebe momentarily put aside all her thoughts trying to sort through and find what it was that was still anchoring her here, her hands shifted to her stomach remembering how she had felt when she'd discovered she would eventually be a mother. Her eyes locked on the floor not wanting Paige to see the truth in them. "No. You?"

Paige scoffed before flicking her sister on the air. To her great joy, it appeared that they could hurt each other in their ghostly forms. Phoebe winced before looking at her baby sister incredulously with a look that said 'did you really just do that', Paige waved a dismissive hand at Phoebe before starting pacing. "Yeah, now that you mention it, it would have been nice to find out I had another nephew before I died."

Belle shot a panicked look at Chris, her eyes wide as she wondered what could have possibly happened that Chris - the best secret keeper in their family - something which really didn't say a lot but was still true. She watched as he shook his head to show that they didn't know it was him - closing her eyes momentarily she let out a breath of relief as she moved closer to his body. It unnerved her just how much Chris got hurt here, he was her protector yet he seemed to be in more physical and emotional pain in the past than he was in the future. She wrapped her hand around his needing to know he was alright since they'd all been told them about his earlier injury. As far as Belle was concerned, Chris was far too cavalier with his life - willing to risk the one thing none of them wanted to loose if it meant saving Wyatt.

"I was gonna tell you but I just didn't get a chance." Phoebe defended herself against Paige's icy glare. Shifting into a stance that would have been imposing if she was not currently see through.

Chris whistled to get their attention and he felt Belle step away from him, knowing he needed to get his head back in the game. "Guys we can fix this. We can reverse the magic. All we need to do is get the bottle." Chris' voice became the one of reason and the sisters immediately began planning. Their words merging together in anticipation of what they would do to Jinny when they got their hands on her.

"That's true, we're ghosts, we can possess Jinny. Where is Jinny?" Phoebe's thoughts were even more scattered now then when she was alive, something she found great no comfort in. Chris sighed knowing that they only had a few more hours of logical thought, until their state of unrest turned them insane, when that time came they would need to either return to their bodies or pass on over. And as far as Chris was concerned the latter was not an option.

Paige clicked her fingers as she attempted to focus on the boasting ex-genie. "Well, she was planning to conjure the lost city." Allowing her mind work it's way through Jinny's plans, Paige smiled as she worked on a counter-plan to reestablish her ability to make wise decision because as of late that didn't seem to be happening.

Chris couldn't help the snort that escaped him as he realised Paige had was unperturbed by her current incorporeal state, something which he could tell even Phoebe was worried over and he suddenly began to understand why she had been the one willing to return to earth and help her nephew.

Phoebe surprisingly picked up on a flicker of uncertainty from their otherwise impassive whitelighter. Without thinking she set about reassuring him, not really understanding where that need was coming from but grateful she'd been able to do something. "Don't worry, we're gonna take care of this." Phoebe turned and poked her sister in the side childishly gaining an annoyed Paige's attention, she knew they would figure something out, they always did but not having Piper with them was unsettling however she was not in the mood to inform her that they were currently ghosts, if it was up to her Piper would never know. Pushing the feelings aside she addressed Paige. "Should we go check on Piper first?"

Chris burst in breaking them out of their bubble as they focused on his rushed words. "No, no, no. Piper's fine. I mean, she has to be, right? If she was dead, I would have vanished."

They both nodded remembering Chris' explanation of how their nephew saved his life and realised that even if Piper had moved on - Chris was still here, meaning however this turned out it fixed itself in the end and once the got the Genie everything would be okay.

Paige let her eyes wonder around Richards expansive foyer, she couldn't believe everything that had happened today but taking a page from Chris' book and compartmentalized. Goal one find Jinny. "How do we reach Jinny?" Her eyes instinctually looked to Chris, his ingenious plans seemed to keep him out of most troubles so she figured he was their best shot at the right answer.

Chris ran a hand through his hair, his mind clearly running through the expanses of knowledge he'd acquired over the years. "You're ghosts, you can haunt anybody you want." Chris' words were tinged with hidden excitement as he smiled reassuringly at Belle allowing her to take over the explanation knowing how much she'd appreciate it. The two of them and Mel had been the only ones out of the next generation who took such an interest in the book that they basically knew it off by heart - well Chris knew it off by heart - Melinda and Belle had learnt it from Chris' brain since Wyatt had taken the book before they were able to truly understand it's wonder. They'd made up for it by learning Chris' mind, better than anyone else.

"You should concentrate and it should wisp you right to her." Belle's light voice was encouraging and imploring. Her eyes widened as she watched Phoebe and Paige close their eyes before vanishing - a smile lit up her face as she finally got to see a haunting in progress.

Chris shook his head as his charges disappeared with no mention of where they were headed. "Wait for me!" Calling out hoping he could perhaps give them a taste of the headache he often endured thanks to their calling. Finally latching onto their trail Chris prepared to orb when Belle latched onto his arm with a pointed look - she was clearly not going to be left out of this one. Shrugging, Chris wrapped his hand firmly around hers and allowed the familiar sensation of orbing to overtake him.

Landing on sand was never as fun as it should be and the two had to bounce on the tips of their toes as to not fall into the trap. Most people would consider running on sand a challenge but when fighting Arabian swordsmen it was not the time to test how easy it was to fight on sand. Belle allowed her eyes to roam over the expansive and glorious city. She smirked as she compared it to Wyatt's fortress and wondered what he'd do if he found out his was smaller.

Paige tired of the overwhelming quiet decided now was the time to speak up. Jinny and her henchmen seemed too involved in marveling at the city to see or hear their approaching enemies. "I wouldn't unpack just now if I were you." Paige's voice carried her usual sarcasm that got on even the most devious enemies nerves. She couldn't help the smirk that crossed her lips as Jinny flinched in annoyance at the mocking words.

"Why haven't you moved on? You're dead." Though Jinny's outward appearance was obviously shocked, both her face and voice betrayed her true feelings - fear. If the Charmed Ones tricked their way out of a genie's wish for their death then Jinny didn't stand a chance, but that didn't mean she wouldn't go down swinging.

Seeing the fear in Jinny's brown eyes, Phoebe smiled in victory. Though she was the sister least likely to relish in other's pain even that of demons, Jinny had picked the wrong sister to leech off, a decision she should be solely regretting right about now. "So are you." Her voice was menacing as her spirit slipped into Jinny's body, wrestling to take it over. Momentarily her mind flashed back to when Cole and her had been overtaken by spirits but discarded that thought as quickly as it had entered - that was different, they hadn't been a manipulative demonic ex-genie who was trying to kill them and take over the world.

One of the thieves ran towards Chris and was immediately thrown him across the room - shaking his limbs momentarily Chris allowed the familiar fun of a vanquish envelope him. The other two thieves pulled out their swords and ran towards the younger fighters, afterall how much damage could a whitelighter and a young girl do. Belle smiled and got into a fighting stance her muscles moving effortlessly through the quick stretches in anticipation of the fight.

Though Jinny's henchmen seemed to be eliminated at an indescribable rate more just continued to show up. Chris ducked a gleaming sword as Paige's "Watch out" rang through the cavern. He could that Belle was enjoying herself but was also growing tired. They'd been at this for almost twenty minutes and the constant fight was draining.

Paige was amazed at the proficiency of Chris and Belle's attacks, they moved with a grace that was more suited for a stage than a demonic fight. Both seemed constantly aware of where the other was and ensured to stay out of each other's way unless assistance was required.

"Phoebe, a little help here." Belle's voice was hoarse as she called out to the possessed Jinny, when she signed on to help Chris she dodn't think the fight would continue for as long as it had. After all how hard was it to possess and control a demon.

Jinny smiled back at Belle and she had to fight the shiver that ran through her body at the fact that Jinny's features were contorting to Phoebe's mannerism. "I think I've got control of the body." Phoebe's own voice carried through Jinny's mouth something that unnerved Belle even more than the mirroring features, the only redeeming factor of the who thing was watching a fireball glow to life in Jinny's curled palm before it turned outward sending the missile to vanquish two of the demons. the shock of their leader vanquishing their own in battle enough of a distraction for Chris and Belle to grab a sword each stabbing the remaining eight with startling speed.

Paige redirected a sword into the remaining henchman, she let her eyes travel over the cavern not wanting to know how much of what she was standing was sand and what was not. "Okay, all clear." Catching the other's attention she gestured to the discarded Genie bottle knowing it was all up to Phoebe now.

Jinny's body bent down and picked up the bottle as Phoebe's voice rang out loud and clear. "Richard, I wish you free." Black smoke surrounded the bottle, distorting their views of Phoebe's spirit exiting Jinny's body and all Paige could do was hope her sister had disconnected in time.

Jinny was sucked into the bottle her scream of disbelief echoing around the cavern as she was trapped once again inside her own personal hell. Richard appeared in her place - his face a mask of pure regret - his voice shook as he quickly wished the lost city away for good. Chris and Belle disappeared ahead of them leaving the three to figure out a spell to transport Richard home.

Paige glanced around and took in the familiar decor of her boyfriends home. After a few tweaks to the spell and four wrong houses they finally arrived back only to find Chris leaning over their bodies. Moving slowly over to her body Paige took a moment to consider her choice in hairstyle as she saw what everyone else saw. Glancing at Chris she was confused as to why his face was scrunched up in such intense concentration. Her eyes trailed from Chris to Belle who was currently holding onto his shoulders so steadily that it appeared she was the only thing holding him up. Chris sighed in what appeared to be relief and exhaustion and Paige found a golden light flowed from each of his hands into their still unmoving bodies.

Moments later sweat began to form on Chris' brow, his body trembled with exertion as black spots clouded his vision, the edges began to fade until all he could see was his aunts tunneled faces.

Belle watched as he fought to stay conscious, his body was fighting his mind and she could see the magic taking it's toll, the essence and magnitude of what he was doing lost on the sisters but it was all Belle could focus on. Her hands on his shoulder's tightened as he swayed precariously - her eyes began to water as she realised that once again they were going to be the cause of Chris' pain. Just as he was about to collapse Paige and Phoebe's bodies drew in a shaky breath - the sound breaking the silent room - it seemed to Belle that the one breath was all Chris needed as she felt his energy spike once again. Belle ran a hand through his sweat soaked hair, whispering softly that he was doing great.

He was still slumped against Belle when the sisters came to. His green eyes seemed dimmer - not a result of unpleasant emotions but it seemed his body didn't even have the energy to produce the right pigment for his eyes. Chris' breathing was slow as Phoebe looked up, reaching for his hand in a mixture of confusion and gratitude.

"Hey. What's going on?" Paige though happy to be alive was currently feeling the flashing heat of envy coursing through her veins, annoyed that now she was the only Whitelighter unable to heal.

Phoebe shifted slightly onto her side, trying to find the strength to lift herself up off the floor. Though she had been living it up as a ghost it appeared her body had felt death and her spirit was slowly reattaching itself to his bruised and battered body. "Yeah Chris, I thought you couldn't heal." Phoebe's tone unlike Paige's held no resentment or anger only wonder and curiosity as she waited for the familiar wave of his voice.

"He can't" Belle's answer carried through the silent room and she noticed with some discomfort that Richard seemed to perk up at the mention of healing without the power. She wondered if perhaps these signs had been what Chris had noticed in Wyatt before his transformation. Noticing Chris was resting against her, his breaths deep but cautious as if even when unconscious his body was on guard. Belle sighed knowing he'd be back to full strength in about five minutes - the fact that he even needed to find a strength to go back to made her anger at the Charmed Ones flair again. After all, in the future he had only ever needed a ten minute nap every five days to keep him going, but it appeared in the past he was getting progressively tireder, then again the one benefit of the future was the excess adrenaline your body relied on to run, it was as important to them as calcium was in 2004.

"But he healed them." Richard joined in, his guilt on the matter still running high and he secretly hoped that he could shift the focus to Chris instead of himself. Belle was the only one paying enough attention to see the amazement in his eyes.

Belle shook her head stubbornly determined to make them understand the extent that Chris had gone. "No, he brought them _back_ from the_ dead_." Belle tightened her grip on Chris when she heard him whimper slightly - her breath left her in a rush as she accepted that Chris' short rest would have to do - she needed to wake him as it would only hurt him if his unfiltered thoughts spilled through his currently loose lips.

Phoebe had her head cradled in her hand similar to the way she did whenever Leo began to explain something that inevitably resulted in a headache. "Wait what?" Slowly she forced the words through her constricting thoughts hoping that Belle would be able to explain it in a way that understood. Phoebe was beyond confused her mind reeling as she tried to comprehend the latest facts, but eventually she noticed that Belle had checked out of the conversation and was roughly trying to wake Chris.

"Chris! Christopher come on, wake up." Belle slowly allowed her nails to sink into his shoulders hoping the pain would wake him. His entire body shook as Belle threw him back and forth desperate attempting to rouse him from his forced slumber.

Paige laughed as Belle sighed dramatically, her shoulders slumping in resignation before getting up and moving away from him. Now halfway across the room she pressed her body up against the wall and Phoebe felt an overwhelming wave of fear come from the girl, the strength of it knocked her back a few steps as she fought the urge to run. Suddenly an ear piercing scream left her throat, Belle's eyes widened in undeniable terror. Phoebe struggled against an invisible bond fighting to move towards the young girl. Her eyes locked with Paige's conveying an urgency and fear that even a stranger off the street would have been able to pick up on.

Paige looked at her sister, helplessness overwhelmed her as she too fought against the force. Seeing Richard in the same position, she tried even harder to get to Belle only as she raised her eyes back to the heart wrenching scene she found tears streaming down Belle's now pale face, her body shaking in fear of the unseeable attack.

"C-Ch-Chris...he's here. Help!" Belle's words were riddled with emotions, her head spun to the side as they heard a slap echo through the room. Her tears splashed onto the floor each one as loud as an elephant to their sensitive ears. "Please Chris!"

Before the words had finished leaving Belle's mouth Phoebe was thrown against the wall by a different invisible force. Unlike the last one this radiated power, an uncontrollable source not to be fought against. Her eyes widened as she saw Chris' lean body at attention protectively in front of Belle, his eyes were glazed and she could tell he wasn't fully in control of his actions yet, instead they were born out of a protective instinct that broke through all of his shields. Phoebe glanced at the now suspiciously quiet Belle, her emotions had shut off immediately something which caused Phoebe a great deal of anxiety. Her eyes trailed over the parts of her body that she could make out, searching for any signs of the previous distress but all she could see was a proud smirk crossing her features.

Stepping out from behind Chris, Belle smiled and waved to an invisible audience but Chris could see the true terror still remaining in her form, the way she didn't leave arms length said more of her mental and emotional condition than any words could have conveyed. He watched as her own wall went up, shielding herself from their prying eyes. In one of the smuggest voices he had ever heard leave her lips Belle went for the gold. "And the Oscar goes to... Belle for her wonderful performance in _How to get Chris Perry to wake - part 1._"

Paige and Phoebe looked at her in a mix of awe and fear, amazed that she would do something so bold - sure they screwed around but even they weren't that suicidal. Their thoughts were reinforced as they saw Chris' eyes darken - overcome by what could only be described as white hot anger and unyielding fear.

"What the hell were you thinking, for all you know I won't come next time you call." Chris' voice wasn't raised but the pain undulating through it was palpable, almost of their own accord his eyes closed momentarily hiding the strong emotions as he pinched the bridge of his nose with shaking fingers.

Belle placed her hand gently on his arm, her fingers locking on and digging in to prove that she was there. Tilting his head, she focused on her cousin's stormy green eyes needing him to focus. "_He's_ not here Chris. We both know that. Even unconscious you would have been able to tell if he was here - you would have felt the power." Belle lowered her head slightly as she tried to apologize, her hands remained clutching his arm as she tried to pull herself from the memory. Her words were strong and contrasted with the simplicity of the words leaving her lips. "You were dreaming." Chris visibly shuddered at her words before smiling in thanks, his arm wrapped around her pulling her into a hug.

Phoebe scoffed in annoyance, she didn't understand how it is possible that Belle got away with creating a fake attack to get Chris' attention when they got their ears talked off when they didn't want to go on a vanquish. Not only that but how was she able to create such strong synthetic emotions and freeze them in their path.

Paige cocked her head to the side mulling over what she'd just heard. Her eyebrows were scrunched in concentration as she gnawed on the side of her lip. "What's wrong with dreaming?" Paige's question brought all the attention back to Chris, she watched as he sighed deeply as if it was physically draining to answer.

"I don't dream. I remember. And when I remember, bad things happen, things get out of hand, I'm not in control of my actions let alone my magic. The only time I dream is when I have used too much magic and am actually asleep as apposed to my usual trance." Chris ran a tired hand over his face as he recalled his time in the 'chamber' as Wyatt liked to call it, it was a room specially designed to counteract Chris. The worst part was that it was charmed to learn from his failed attempts meaning each new power he displayed was just another thing for the chamber to use against him. Paige's hum brought him back to the present and he watched as she nodded before he turned towards Phoebe knowing she wanted to say something. "Yes Phoebe?"

Chris' voice was not just tired but also resigned and Phoebe knew this was the only chance to get anything out of him. Their usual tight-lipped Whitelighter was finally relinquishing some of his control and even though she knew that asking prudent questions was the way to go but she couldn't help but ask what was really bothering her. "How did Isabelle create those fake emotions and make them that strong." Phoebe huffed as she realized the one power she had that gave her a true tactical advantage was able to be fooled by a twelve year old girl.

Belle smiled as she guessed Phoebe's train of thought. While their aunt did hold more self-confidence in the future, whenever one of the family members found a weakness in her powers Phoebe would disappear for an extended period of time before reappearing with some solution. It appeared that craziness started long before any of her nieces and nephews were around to critique and Belle was certain it would be just as much fun to antagonize her now as it was in the future. "I didn't."

At Phoebe's groan and confused look, Chris took over the explanation knowing Belle had hours worth of cryptic messages all lined up for this exact moment. "What you saw play out was a memory, the fear, the threat and the call for help were all real just from a different time." Chris' eyes clouded over as he recalled the cave he'd found Belle in, her clothes had been torn, her body bruised and battered, the nightmares had not stopped even months after the rescue. They invaded Chris' dreams through his growing telepathy and empathy all of which resulted in a constant reminder of what he had been unable to spare his cousin of.

Belle wrapped her arms around his waist, knowing she had to keep his mind away from the past and instead focused on their mission. "You came for me then, I knew you would come for me now."

Chris smiled before kissing her head slightly, sure he'd lost other cousins and even his sister during Wyatt's regime but none of them were his responsibility the way Belle was. Yes he was in charge of them, yes he was their legal guardian, yes he mourned their losses but they had all come about through natural means. Chris was the reason for Prue and Cole, he was the reason they'd been able to have the child they so longed and she had an ability to pull him out of the dark no one, not even Bianca could. Bianca may be the love of his life but he was fairly certain a section of his soul lived in Belle. Waving his hand, he ignored Belle's look of shock as she disappeared in tiny blue orbs, her voice calling out as she disappeared. "No fair. Chris!" The comment was made more out of jest than reality as she understood their were certain things he needed to take care of.

Chris chuckled before he headed over to the others, Richard and Paige were studiously avoiding each other as Phoebe tried to wade through the uncomfortable sea of emotions. "We should probably go check on Piper. Come on Phoebe." He grabbed her hand, nodding when Paige gave him a small smile in thanks. "Let go." They disappeared in a flurry of orbs, Phoebe not even fighting him - instead a smile on her face as she thought about the prospect of heading up to her bed when her feet touched the hardwood floor.

:: :: :: :: ::

Chris paced as he continued to glance at the Grandfather clock, wondering if it was running slower or whether it was his own spectacular brand of torture. He had already tried to resurrect Piper - whether she needed it or not was irrelevant at the time - however it appeared that while she was not dead she _is_ still under Chris' wish. The consequences of which meant he was trapped waiting with bated breath for the clock to reach it's mark. Finally the clock chimed and Chris turned prepared for damage control. After a moment of silence his anxiety kicked into a full blown panic attack as the full weight of what he may have done running rampant in his mind.

"They're not waking up. How come they're not waking up?" His voice unconsciously rose in octaves and pitch as he looked at Phoebe for help. His green eyes were glistening as he tried to get Phoebe to give him the reassurance he sought.

"Would you relax?" Phoebe realised that Chris was probably the worst person she could have told to relax. His shoulder's tensed unconsciously and she sucked in a breath hoping she hadn't caused them to take ten steps backward for the one forward. But to her surprised Chris simply sent her a admonishing look.

"Relax? I'm sorry, did you say relax? Because I'm about to disappear, vanish forever, cease to exist." Chris' glare only seemed to encourage Phoebe as she rolled her eyes at him and sighed.

Phoebe rolled her eyes at Chris' extreme outcomes, clucking her tongue at them she stretched knowing it was almost showtime. "Oh my god, you're so dramatic." Finally Piper and Leo stirred, Phoebe dropped down to be immediately in front of them as their eyes fluttered open. "Hey, are you okay?"

Piper pulled away from Leo trying to ignore the way her body ached to be against him again, determined to forget the warmth that he generated. But mostly ignore the hurt look she saw flitter across his face at her obvious rejection.

"I think so. Wh-wh-what are you doing?" Piper stuttered out as she looked at Leo.

"Uh, I don't know, I swear." Leo stood up and backed away from the couch. "What's going on?" His eyes darted around the room as if expecting for an attack or searching for an escape root.

Phoebe stepped in knowing that she would be less likely to get into trouble than Chris and she needed Chris on her team if she was going to save her nephew. "Arabic sleeping potion. Very strong, not good." She patted Piper sympathetically on the arm hoping she was too shocked to ask any more questions.

"You mean Jinny did this?" Piper caught on quickly remembering their troubles before said sleeping potion. Phoebe inwardly smiled as she worked it out in her mind, technically it was Jinny's fault and therefore she wasn't lying - something she had never been very good at - twisting the truth however, that she was the master of.

"Who else?" Phoebe smiled innocently at Piper as she ducked the answer, setting Piper's mind at ease without ever actually answering her.

Piper immediately jumped into action. Disregarding the surprised but pleased look Chris shot Phoebe, Piper glanced around the room hoping to catch a glimpse of the fiery redhead.

"Well, we've gotta stop her." Piper's voice was so determined that Phoebe couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her pursed lips. Chris was pleased Phoebe was taking the lead on this as he was still too worn out to do anything like battle - be it physical or verbal - an angry Piper Halliwell and that's all he could see right now.

"We already did while you were sleeping. She's back in the bottle." Phoebe smirked at Piper, content to prove that Paige and her could complete a vanquish without the power of three. If her thoughts were right about Piper's second child there would definitely be some maternity leave which would include no vanquishes - something which for all of her complaining about wanting a normal life, Phoebe knew Piper was going to fight to the tooth and nail about having to be on a time out.

Chris picked up the bottle after Phoebe's statement and turned toward Leo holding it out to him. "Which we were sort of hoping you could take care of for us." Chris hesitated trying to determine what reaction he'd receive from the currently unpredictable whitelighter.

Leo nodded affirmatively, grabbing the Genie bottle from Chris hands - his brow furrowed as Chris flinched away but his mind was too preoccupied with the demon of the bottle to wonder about what had caused Chris' weird behaviour. "So that's it? It's all over?"

"Pretty much." Leo's palpable disbelief caused Chris' curiosity to rise - sure magic has a strange was of working _all _of Phoebe's genie magic should have worn off. Regardless of his almost certainty Chris couldn't help but check that his intuition was in fact correct. I mean, you still forgive me, right?"

Leo cocked his head as he thought over Chris' words. "Of course." The tone of his voice suggested that he was gravely offended that such a thing would be asked.

Chris sucked in his bottom lip as he tried to process this latest development. This was a side of Leo he'd never seen, not during his childhood and certainly not in the past. He blinked once as if desperately trying to process everything. "Good."

Phoebe cleared her throat wanting to clear away the uneasy air. "I still wanna know why we all didn't die." Phoebe stopped at the glare Chris threw her way, taking a small step back as she tried to hold her ground. "What? I'm curious."

Chris rolled his eyes, the action almost identical to Paige's signature move. "Oh, sure, you don't mind them knowing that they almost died but not that... never mind." Chris quickly cut himself off before he revealed that they had another son or more importantly that he was that son - that was definitely a revelation he was not prepared for.

"What are you talking about?" Piper looked between her whitelighter and her sister with mounting annoyance. She knew when Phoebe was keeping something secret and Piper just usually assumed Chris was always keeping something from them. However for them to be in on it together meant it had to be something big. And that was something Piper really wanted to know.

Phoebe reluctantly lifted her eyes to face Piper, she hadn't really been expecting to have to explain everything she just assumed Chris would have an answer. "Jinny made a wish for the Charmed Ones to die and we almost did, but then we turned into ghosts and..." she trailed off quietly not really knowing how to continue but Piper quickly cut in.

Piper sat down on the couch, her expression puzzled as she thought back to what she had assumed was a dream. "Huh. So that wasn't a dream I had." Her hand rested softly on Leo's arm, getting his attention before continuing and though her speech was technically for everyone, no one could deny she was only speaking to Leo. "I was floating over my body looking down at me and then, uh, you healed me." Piper's hair covered her blushing face as she turned to look her husband in the eye, her eyes filled with an undeniable gratefulness.

Leo wrapped his hand around her smaller one, moving to sit down beside her. "I did?" Leo was honestly shocked as the words left Piper's soft lips, he didn't remember healing anyone - in fact he didn't remember anything other than dreams filled with Piper. He smiled and tucked her loose strand behind her ear glad when she didn't move away but instead leaned into his touch.

Piper's eyes were filled with wonder as she continued on her story, her eyes lost in Leo's own green ones. "Yeah. I called to you when you were sleeping and somehow you must have heard me and you wouldn't let me go."

Chris smiled, his hope was growing as he watched his parents interact - the love in their gaze. There was still a chance for him after all. "Well, then that must be the reason why Phoebe and Paige's spirits didn't move on. See the wish was for all the Charmed Ones to die, so saving you must have saved them." Chris nodded at the end of his statement, he knew magic was a tricky but overall it seemed destiny was not ready to lose the greatest force of good yet. It was a strange feeling to be thankful to Leo as opposed to resenting his whole presence.

"That was really sweet of you." Phoebe smiled at Piper's statement and watched the two as they stood in synch, standing closer together than they had been in months. She could see the way their hands inched closer together seeking out their partner.

Paige appeared in an array of blue lights, her arrival giving the couple the privacy they needed. As her body formed facing away from the couch she caught her sister's eye and knew Phoebe saw the pain her's echoed but just like Paige wished Phoebe only nodded in acknowledgement, understanding the last thing Paige wanted right now was to talk about Richard. Wiping a small tear from the corner of her eyes, she plastered on a smile and turned to face Piper and Leo, prepared to welcome them back to the land of consciousness.

"Any time." Leo smiled kindly at Piper his gaze filled with undying love as he stroked her face tenderly. "So you wanna go with me to get Wyatt?"

"Actually that won't be necessary." Chris started, knowing it would only worry the couple if they went to magic school only to find Wyatt missing. His eyes remained focused on a patch of wall between Piper and Leo as he quickly telepathically reached out to his sister telling her to bring Wyatt back. He could feel Piper and Leo gazing at him curiously as they wondered if he was going to finish his statement.

Seconds later the sound of orbing filled the room and Piper looked around to locate her son, she couldn't wait to hold him back in her arms. And with Leo by her side she could almost imagine their lives together the way it was supposed to be. Threading her fingers through Leo's own ones she smiled gently at him - all thoughts of Greg gone as she focused on the familiar thrum of her heart that only Leo could bring.

Phoebe laughed as she saw Chris' arms move to compensate Nathan and Noah - the tiny duo were clad in sleepwear that made them even more adorable than usual. She watched as Isabelle came to a stop in front of Wyatt - a familiar looking bear nestled in the crook of her arm - the small blonde child was resting peacefully in Jade's arms only stirring long enough to take Wuvey. Phoebe noticed she was now in pajamas that seemed to emphasise just how young she actually was - something that Phoebe had gathered was extremely rare in the future. "The Cookie Monster?"

Phoebe's question was met with a lot of blank stares until they realised she was talking about Belle's pajama shorts. Chris chuckled as he realized his cousin had casually chucked on one of his old shirts and her pair of Cookie Monster shorts, shopping wasn't really available to the Halliwell's they were on the most wanted lists turned in by witches, demons and mortals alike - it truly was amazing how fast people turned on one another in their world. Pulling himself out of his dark thoughts glanced at Belle only to see her offended stance before he looked over to Phoebe with a cocked eyebrow knowing she was either going to get a longwinded lecture or a short and sweet statement. Belle only ever went one way or the other and her long lectures generally went on for half an hour or so, leaving Chris to desperately hope Phoebe would only get a small reprimand.

Belle shot a look at Chris seeming to understand his silent wish as she shrugged and turned back to Phoebe. "It was either that or Hannah Montana." Belle ran a hand down her plaited hair as she got lost in her thoughts remembering years that technically hadn't happened yet.

Chris smirked as he remembered his cousins obsessions with that show. He could easily picture them all sprawled on bean bags, half lying on top of one an other as they watched reruns of the ridiculously simple minded, catchy show that allowed them to escape reality for twenty odd minutes. His smile faltered slightly as he caught the changes in his memory - the times when Belle and Henry had been there and the times they hadn't. He recalled how slowly one by one it came down to just Peyton, Parker and him watching as they tried to pretend they were surrounded by their family. The same family who liked to link the characters inability to figure out that Hannah and Miley were the same person with humanity's ignorance in regards to magic. Well that and Chris was certain that Henry Jr had always had a crush on Emily Osment - to the point where he shushed everyone when she came on screen. It was one of the things they had all watched together, whether it was for a chance to mindlessly mock something other than their crappy situations or the songs that somehow had the ability to make them feel not as bad or simply just a chance to escape reality; Hannah Montana and Spongebob had become their lifelines to an easier time reminding them all of what they were fighting for, what they were hoping to get back. And when the time came, what Chris was hoping to find again.

"Hannah Montana?" The name sounded foreign coming from Leo, whose confused glance was only increased when Chris burst out laughing. Though he had been the only one to express what the others were feeling, Chris could almost picture Leo sitting down in a few years - if he could handle being away from the Elders long enough - to watch an episode of a show that the strangers from the future had expressed an interest in.

"You'll find out in a few years." Chris said once he had calmed down. His arms were still firmly holding Peyton and Parker in their place as he rested the side of his head against Parker's head trying to focus on anything other than the amusing mental image. Deciding the sister's curiosity for future knowledge might be momentarily quelled by a small non-disastrous nugget, he took a breath, composing himself before starting again. "Here's a spoiler Billy Ray Cyrus makes a comeback." Though only intending to throw them a ridiculous tidbit at Phoebe and Piper's look of disbelief his couldn't help himself and his laughter grew louder and even more carefree. The combination of which caused Mel to smile as she too understood the break Chris needed from the seriousness of the last few days.

Leo nodded in somewhat satisfaction before he tugged gently on Piper's hand leading her over to Jade. Piper smiled in thanks at the young woman only stopping long enough to scoop her sleeping baby out of her arms and disappear up the stairs as she quietly conversed with Leo.

Peyton yawned into her dad's chest, her hand threading into the soft material of his shirt as she fought to keep up their glamour. Chris looked down at his tired kids and decided it was time to take them all home - saving Wyatt may come before his own life in his mind, but nothing came before his kids, if they needed him he would be there regardless of the consequences. "Let's go. Jade your crashing with us tonight." Not even giving his sister the choice of bowing out he hitched Peyton up higher against him and looked to his younger cousin, knowing they needed to keep up appearances regardless of how tired they were and as far as the sister's knew Jade couldn't orb. "Belle can you take Jade?" As his cousin nodded, Chris held his kids tighter and orbed straight to Natalie's - he smiled slightly as the familiar room in his family home gave way to a shimmer of blue, taking him to the place he had quickly come to call a home in 2004.

Phoebe gave Isabelle a hug, wrapping her arms around the young teen before she had a chance to protest. As she released her, she glanced momentarily at the girl's shocked face and knew she definitely needed to explain herself - regardless of how empathic and loving Phoebe was even she understood it was weird to randomly hug people. Especially people who have made their views about her and her family pretty clear. "Sorry, it's just you look so much like my sister Prue."

Belle nodded slightly allowing Phoebe this small connection to her sister - she had been told many times how much she resembled her mother at this age to the point where she'd seen an old photo and thought it was perhaps a time travel spell gone wrong. Belle shrugged slightly allowing Phoebe to understand that she understood and that their were no hard feelings. She watched as Paige shuffled slightly from the side and knew her youngest aunt was once again dealing with the insecurity she felt around the subject of Prue and knew it was best to hurry this conversation along.

Phoebe placed a soft hand on Isabelle's shoulder sighing slightly as she saw the girl flinch and take a step back much like Chris did - momentarily she allowed herself to wonder just how bad the future was that these people, both of whom were considerably young held what could only be described as fear when faced with the slightest everyday touch. Lifting her hand away she smiled wearily at Isabelle allowing her thoughts to turn back to what she was initially going to say. "I also wanted to thank you for taking care of Chris today, I don't know what would have happened otherwise - in fact I'm fairly sure things would not have ended well at all - but I'm glad he has you to talk to."

Melinda smiled as she watched Belle - she knew no one in her family could ever truly understand the connection Chris and Belle shared, in fact she doubted they themselves saw it, it was not a psychic or emotional connection as such but it left no doubt in her mind that they'd be somewhat lost if the other died, she'd seen as much happen when Belle died the first time, something in her brother had just snapped, shriveled up and died it wasn't until Belle reappeared that she saw him whole again. Sure in some way they were all connected by varying levels of familiar bonds carried through their bloodlines, the famous Halliwells, the book's triquetra emphasising rifts in the family as clear as day. It was this knowledge that allowed her to realise just how much Phoebe's words would mean to Belle and how much they would impact her. She heard Belle trail off from whatever she was saying and took a moment to look around the now empty room. Mel thought back to the times when it was difficult to get a moment of silence around the bustling manor and wished Belle was able to have seen what that was truly like, wished she had known more of the ridiculous interactions that occurred at the extended dinner table every Sunday night when everyone was over. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she heard Chris' soft voice in her head telling her to get a move on. Walking over to her cousin she smiled at Phoebe and Paige knowing it was best to leave the two alone to talk. "Belle we better get going. Goodnight Phoebe, Paige."

Just like Chris they disappeared, but in a purple and gold combination that Paige smiled as she realised it was Belle's own unique signature glow - the realisation making her wonder just how special the young girl was. The clock chimed again and she remembered how late it was. Yawning as she climbed the stairs, she smiled as Phoebe threw a comforting arm around her shoulder, giving her a small squeeze and despite her recent break-up Paige couldn't help but feel they were one step closer to fixing the future.


	17. The Courtship of Wyatt's Father Part 1

Leo looked into the attic from his lofty perch perch with the other Elders, his mind riddled with indecision as he watched Chris flip the pages of The Book. Touching the cool glass of the potion bottle in his right hand, he decided that it was time. Enough was enough, he was going to get answers out of Chris one way or another. With that settled Leo sent a quick prayer hoping The Powers would not only let this work but that the sisters wouldn't stop him. He knew they were still cleaning up from Wyatt's party and were currently chatting with a guest, so theoretically he would have enough time. It wasn't that he didn't trust the guy or anything like that but he needed to know exactly what would happen to Wyatt in the future to justify Chris - of all people - coming back.

Chris' head snapped up as he heard orbing from the middle of the attic. His small smile immediately fell when they settled to reveal Leo - who despite his set face was teeming with indecision that hit Chris full force.

Clutching the small bottle so hard he was worried it might break, Leo straightened his shoulders and set to work. "Chris, I need you to tell me about what happens in the future." His words didn't have their unlikely but hoped for effect and instead of answering like any normal person, he simply scowled at Leo before crossing his arms over his chest bringing up his walls.

Chris audibly groaned, he had thought they had gotten past this or hoped he would have had at least a week before the future questions started up again, honestly it was no secret he was never going to like Leo, but Chris liked to believe they were in a good place. "I can't tell you anything. What part of _FUTURE CONS-" _Chris' yelling was cut off by Leo's calm but pleading words as he launched his arm forward.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me but I have to know." At Leo's words Chris huffed in annoyance and massaged his temples with his forefingers but the flicker of movement from Leo was enough to catch his attention.

Chris moved his hand away from his forehead in time to watch the potion crash at his feet. The shattering of the glass rang through the eerily silent room, the liquid seeped through lines in the floorboard towards him as the gas flooded his nostrils leaving him no chance of escape. The world shook for a moment before Chris lurched forward gasping desperately for air while fighting his gag reflex. His face turned a dangerous shade of crimson as he glared at Leo, his eyes filled with so much hatred that Leo took an involuntary step back. With his remaining breath Chris felt his eyes swell to a close and his strangled cry nothing more than a whisper. "Help."

Leo watched frozen as the young man crashed to the ground, his eyes rolling to the back of his head, his body seizing. Instantly rushing forward Leo tried to heal him but was only able to minimally ease Chris' erratic breathing and temporarily halt the shakes ripping through his body. Tipping the whitelighter's head back, Leo opened the vial containing the reversal potion and poured it down Chris' closing throat. The liquid attempted to leak out the sides so Leo covered his mouth and nose forcing Chris to involuntarily swallow it, even in his unconscious state Leo was counting on Chris' body knowing what it needed to do to ensure he got oxygen. Leo's heart was in his throat as he heard the sisters rushing up the steps - their panicked voices and quick steps a dead giveaway.

Stepping forward in one last desperate attempt to wake Chris before having to face his ex-wife and her sisters' wrath, he was shocked when he flew backwards landing against the wall with a resounding thud. The last thing he recalled as the world went black was hearing Piper's horrified gasp as she located the boy once again writhing on the floor.

:: :: :: :: ::

Phoebe had been the first one to notice that something was wrong with Chris. Ironically it came as a result of her usual lack of emotional overflow from Chris turning into rapidly growing hate and pain. The force of which had nearly knocked her over.

Melinda had stopped by as 'Isabelle Hart' after finding Paige's clothes, clean and folded in her draws at Victor's. That had been such a long day - what with Chris waking up and all - that she had forgotten about the clothes her aunt had insisted she wear during their unfortunate run in. Mel's senses were overwhelmed with Chris' pain so much so that she had to look away from the sisters to mask her desperate need to get oxygen down her throat, rationally she knew that Chris was the one experiencing it but the fear and desperation was all consuming, causing her to become cut off from any ability to reach her power. She nearly screamed in satisfaction when the thud from upstairs had the sisters dashing for the staircase seemingly forgetting their guest who was able to follow without question. His voice flittered through her mind, pleading for help and Melinda felt powerless as she trailed behind the sisters, her magic just beyond her fingertips.

:: :: :: :: ::

Peyton was at the park with her great grandpa Victor, her hair glamoured it's usual ethereal blonde. Her eyes shone with happiness as she explored the playground the way a normal child would. Her hair whipping past her face as she sailed high in the air with each delicate push Parker gave her. He loved watching her face light up as the world rushed her by, other children becoming inconsequential nameless blobs in her narrowed yet expansive views from up high.

His senses were in overload as he heard the crunching gravel beneath the shoes of the two boys playing tip next to the swing, he could smell the aftershave of the man next to him as he pushed his son a little higher. It registered in his mind that most six year olds in 2004 weren't volunteering to push their little sister on the swings, but he had insisted wanting to simply relish in the freedom that was a playground.

Belle was splayed across the picnic blanket lazily eating a strawberry as if it was the answer to all her problems, her feet resting daintily in her grandfather's lap. The rich taste feeling foreign as their supply in the future had been low, only having the occasional flowering bush within the Resistance headquarters meant that there was a limited amount of strawberries to be shared with a whole lot of people, especially when making a top-side run simply to buy a piece of fruit was not worth the risk. A trail of red juice ran down her thumb as she watched it with inquisitive eyes wondering how far down it would get and if it would stain. She knew her mother would freak if she saw her now, the perfectionist in her still ever present even if her father somewhat balanced it out.

Victor smiled at the chaotic chorus of exclamations of children's happiness that washed over him. His mind preoccupied with the book he was engrossed in as his fingers brushed the well worn pages - an outwards sign of the fondness with which he regarded the tale. Though his eyesight was not as good as it had been and the small font caused him the occasional pause with other novels, it was so burned into his memory that he simply supplied the word himself.

Resting his spare hand on his granddaughter's foot he couldn't help but wonder how it was possible for him to be so calm about everything. His teenage granddaughter, the daughter of his supposedly dead - but no so dead in a few years - daughter, was here from the future with the few remaining familial survivors to stop the threat that would eventually become his other grandson yet they were all sitting calmly in the park.

He had always known Patty was a free spirit but some days Victor wondered if he truly understood what he was getting himself into. The obvious answer was no but she'd given him an out before they'd had Prudence and he hadn't left then. Then other days he wondered how many other people could say they had the chance to meet their future family, spend time with them and help them save the world. And it was always at that point that Victor remembered why he'd never change the choices he'd made for it had led him to where he was and he'd never give up the opportunity of getting to know his time travelling family.

Simultaneously they heard Chris' silent and near death plea in their minds. Without even a second thought Victor tossed his beloved book to the side not sparing a glance as it landed in a heap, surely now covered in mud and unsalvageable. Belle was up on her feet before anyone could blink, her strawberry forgotten as she located their nearest exit - if it wasn't such a bad time she would have laughed out loud thinking of that one time Chris had taken her to the cinema and she had heard them remind everyone to locate their nearest exit in case of an emergency - even with her time in their future and the interspacing memories that brushed through her mind every now and then, she'd never fully grasped how important that concept was until now.

In the future there was no need to seek out a private place to escape, it was kill or be killed and that rarely left any room for interpreting whether you would expose your own magic let alone magic itself - but this was a peaceful year where the mortals were quite ignorant and Belle refused to be the person who changed that.

Peyton released the swing at it's peak and she arched graceful and warrior-like through the air. She was momentarily grateful for her brother's telekinesis that was no doubt helping keep her upright, before she remembered her dad's breathless cry for help. Belle grabbed Victor's hand pulling him behind the bathrooms before orbing them to the attic knowing the others wouldn't be far behind. Parker and Peyton rushed straight after then, Peyton orbing them before they had even come to a standstill.

:: :: :: :: ::

Victor had offered to babysit the kids allowing Prue, Cole, Natalie and Jake to head to the beach for a relaxing day by the tide pools and if Chris hadn't beaten him to it Cole would have instantly taken him up on the offer knowing Prue was likely to kill their daughter if they spent another day in each other's company.

Prue's head was resting on Cole's chest listening to the steady sounds of his heart beat as she basked in the sun, the warmth tingling her skin as much as it could. It was times like these that she easily forgot that both her and her husband were technically dead, that they were never going to grow old but that they were in no means immortal.

Chris had ordered every single one of them _including_ Jake to take the day off and wouldn't take no for an answer, so reluctantly but with no regrets they had all gone their separate ways enjoying their 'court-ordered' relaxation.

Cole breathed deeply as he ran his fingers affectionately through his wife's hair waiting for her to show any indication of wanting to go into the barreling waves or the calm pools. Instead it appeared she - like him - was content to sit in the sun and enjoy the rays that were so rare in the future. Cole and Prue smiled as they heard Natalie laughing in the water, her voice so carefree and happy reminding them once again what they were fighting for and hoped to get out of it. Sure there had been laughter in the future but it was always tinged with the knowledge that the temporary happiness could end as abruptly as it began.

Natalie laughed again, the water splashing around her as she parted the water with her arms, sinking deeper into the ocean as she tried to escape the playful wrath of her fiancée. She could see Jake was fast approaching but continued to run, determined to beat him.

His strong arms circled her waist and lifted her out of the water, placing a soft kiss on her salty lips as his breath mingled with her own. Her hands tangled in the soft, wet hair at the nape of his neck tugging softly as she pulled her lips back to his.

They were quickly lost in their moment of passion until one word broke the spell better than the freezing water they were submerged in. "Help." Within seconds Jake had them on the sandy shore and inside the tent seeking out their already robe covered friends. Forming a circle they grabbed onto Prue and Cole's outstretched hands and disappeared in a flurry of lights, hoping they wouldn't get their too late.

:: :: :: :: ::

Piper gasped as she took in Chris' writhing form on the floor of his attic, moving to step closer to the boy she found she was unable to get within a one foot radius. As she looked around the room she took in Leo's unconscious form and rushed to him, her concern over her ex-husband overruling the worry she still had for her whitelighter, beside for some unknown reason she was unable to help him anyway. The other two simply fought against the unknown barrier desperately trying to save their whitelighter from whatever was causing the pain that was being magically felt by all those in the room.

Melinda rushed forward her body being granted access to Chris as she pulled him into her lap and began stroking his hair, her concern alleviating any fear she had in regards to blowing their secret. Her brother was dying and she'd be damned if she let him go without a fight. "Come on Chris, open your eyes."

Paige watched as Isabelle attempted to coax Chris into consciousness and she realised that at some point Chris must have sought her out. God only knows Chris might have needed the support of a family member, what with him being in the past and them not being the most cooperative charges. Guilt flooded her as she though about her own trip to the past where she'd been completely lost until she realised the hippy woman she'd bumped into was her grandmother and that in and of itself had brought her some peace.

Phoebe let her eyes stray from Chris' flailing form, noticing the multiple bodies forming in a variety of coloured orbs throughout their attic. Isabelle's quiet chanting brought Phoebe's attention away from the still unformed bodies and back to their Whitelighter.

"To help him I need to know

the battle waring within his soul.

Expose what's missing and let me see,

what's needed to bring him back to me."

Melinda quietly chanted the words vaguely aware of her family forming a circle next to her. As two small hands rested on her shoulders to complete the chain, Melinda felt power surge through her and disrupt the air around them. An image began to form in her mind, her own powers tapping into Parker's premonition ability and replaying the events of the minutes prior to Chris' collapse.

Prue rushed to the book when she saw it glow. She was aware of her sisters' presence in the attic but Chris was her primary concern. The book immediately opened and she felt her eyebrows furrow in confusion. Cole seeing her bafflement hurried to her and touched the book trying to better understand the flashing pictures that seemed unable to properly show them what they needed. Prue glanced over to Leo's prone form and understanding overcame her. Her eyes flashed with an uncontrollable anger that had Cole stepping forward, ignoring his own feelings as he tried to placate his wife before things got too out of hand.

"Leo first threw a truth potion and then gave him _a_ reversal potion." Grams' stern words from behind Prue confirmed her thoughts and made her view on Leo and his actions perfectly clear. Penny's timeless hands caressed the book as if it would give her the answer to waking her great-grandson. Prue glanced at the woman behind her seeing the toll Chris' pain was having on their family matriarch.

"Glad you could join us." Cole muttered sarcastically as he glanced at the page again. He could tell Penny was feeling Chris' pain just as bad as the rest of them and knew that they needed her at her peak state. Unfortunately for him she was at her peak when she was focused on hating men.

Penny focused her energy on the still glitchy book. It wasn't often something was able to confuse the book but even then it was no match for the magic of the true owners. Running the back of her hand across the page, she finally countered the glamour the book was fighting to reveal the true potion Leo had thrown the second time. Instead of it being a reversal potion, Leo had actually made a potion that was designed to reverse a vanquishing spell but had the unfortunate side affect of giving the witch who cast it boils.

"I still don't understand why someone would glamour the spells. What good would it do them?" Cole's question was answered seconds later when the scream of a vanquished darklighter rang through the now heated air, leaving behind an empty crossbow and no Piper or Leo.

"I guess they wanted everyone distracted." Prue muttered not at all concerned about the whereabouts of her sister or her ex-whitelighter as she was positive they were still alive. Firstly she would have sensed it if they had died regardless of the time they were in and secondly Chris - though unconscious - was still physically here. Though she momentarily wished that he wasn't as then he wouldn't be in this agony. Her sharp eyes ran over her nephew's form wishing he would wake, needing to see the bright green eyes that never failed to give her hope.

"Wait, what's going on here? Who are you?" Phoebe's questions were fired at the hooded figure who had just spoken, the voice sounding annoyingly familiar though she was unable to place it. With everything that was going on, especially her Grams' sudden appearance beside two of the many cloaked figures her brain was choosing to reboot one problem at a time. She had noticed that Grams had regarded the strangers lightly, warmly as if somehow she knew they weren't going to hurt her family or Chris. In response to her question the figure simply shrugged the action picking at something in her brain that was just out of reach.

Paige's eyes were glued to Chris, her breathing increasing in tempo when the magic changed, still keeping her out but also gaining what appeared to be bands of red electricity running across his body as if they were chains tying Chris down. Her hands moved forward to touch him but recoiled as she remembered what had happened to Leo and Piper when they had attempted to touch him. Unable to simply stand still and watch him, Paige jumped on the tips of her toes her feelings of uselessness only feeding her untamable energy.

"W-what's happening to Chris? Is he going to be okay?" Paige's voice were more subdued than Phoebe's had been. Despite her mind reminding her time and time again what would happen she kept trying to approach Chris only to be forced back again by the still unseen wall.

"His magic is being unbound." Penny placed a tender hand on her granddaughter's shoulder knowing they needed to get the remaining Charmed Ones out of the way before they attempted to help Chris. "But don't worry about that now dear, I need you to go and locate Piper and Leo." Penny's voice was calm but commanding and she watched as Phoebe nodded in a daze simply used to doing whatever her grandmother asked of her regardless of if it made sense or if it was even something she wanted to do.

Turning on her heal Phoebe pulled at her hair nervously, a determined jut to her chin as she took out the map of San Francisco, the scrying crystal and got to work. Hunched over the table she was immediately oblivious to anything other than the small tracks the crystal was making, she felt her eyes water slightly as the weight of the situation mixed with the strength of everyone's pain crashed over her, placing a hand on the end of the table to steady herself she took a few deep breaths blocking out the emotions and the sounds knowing right now she needed to find her big sister.

Paige however turned towards her grandmother with a fire blazing in her eyes, her hair falling into place as she finally stopped moving. "Will. He. Be. Alright?" Each word was separated and enunciated to ensure that they all understood she was not going to back down. She was not going to be intimidated by a bunch of people in robes and her pushy Grams, well maybe Grams but certainly not the others. Her entire body was demanding she find a way to save her whitelighter, but she knew that the current inhabitants of her attic would be able to do that better than she ever could, the power radiating from them as a group was slightly frightening, but that did not mean she liked feeling helpless. More than anything though she knew they needed her to work on locating Piper and Leo, but she was only going to leave _once_ they had answered her question. Something she didn't really believe was going to happen.

So Paige was taken by surprise when Penny lowered her voice and said in a grim whisper, "I hope so." Her usually stoic Grams was looking at Chris as if it were possible he may not survive this, an idea that did not bode well with Paige. Though he was neurotic, demanding and a sometimes stupidly reckless pain in her ass, a world without Chris just didn't seem right.

Phoebe jumped up in excitement and confusion as the crystal landed back in the attic, turning rapidly she moved over each of the cloaked figures wondering why the crystal had stopped, she was fairly certain she was not related to any of the strange newcomers and she knew there was no way Piper would be standing quietly while her attic was being overrun by strangers. Growling in annoyance she tapped the crystal in frustration shutting her eyes as she attempted to channel the power. "Find Piper."

Prue and Cole immediately returned to Chris' side, their hands gripping onto one of his calloused but surprisingly soft hands each, their eyes meeting as a stroke of determination ran through them. Melinda placed her hands on softly on Chris' temple, not wanting to cause him any more pain - smiling momentarily when he seemed to relax a bit and lean into her touch. They all simultaneously breathed deeply as they felt the magic coursing through their bodies, certain powers finding matches with certain people.

Penny finally lay her hand atop Peyton's head and felt power flood her corporeal body as well. The familiar tingle of a her specific magic reminded her of how much of her blood ran through Chris and how much they were alike. Penny felt Peyton lean back against her legs and knew Chris' pain was taking it's toll on his children and sister more than any of the others. Repositioning her body, Penny knelt down and cradled the small girl against her chest, her features so similar to Piper's at that age that Penny was transported twenty years ago to when Piper was in the exact same position, usually independent but being forced to rely on her Grams to get her through the current hardship.

Phoebe grew weary, when their heads all snapped up as one and turned toward the attic wall. Their eyes were trained on the glowing triquetra that was hovering mid air - not quite against the wall as Bianca's had been and almost transparent - as four more clocked figures appeared in golden lights.

"Oh Chris..." The shortest figure sighed as she moved through the circle and allowed her hands to rest on the Victor's shoulder. Even without being able to see her face the others knew it was pinched in pain as their own faces were. As the other three newcomers took up their places behind Parker and Belle, the harsh red currents that had been isolated to Chris' body dimmed to a pink and stretched to accommodate the whole group.

Phoebe had cast her eyes back to the crystal not trusting herself to not say the wrong thing and end up making things worse than they already were. Her decision being all the more wise considering that they were currently outnumbered. She ran a hand through her hair in frustration as she heard Paige's voice ring through the attic and couldn't help but wish that her little sister had shared her views on staying quiet.

"I thought he had powers already. How can the be unbound? If Bianca took his powers away how can they be 'locked up' even after they were returned?" Paige turned to Grams knowing that she was most likely to answer. She noticed Penny trail her eyes along Chris, her frown calculative as she turned back to her granddaughter and opened her mouth to answer. Surprisingly enough it was a deep voice that responded - one of the original two clocked figures - and while it was obvious he had some sort of authority over Chris his respect for the boy was obvious in his tone.

"Chris' powers were trapped behind effectively a combination of Fort Knox and Alcatraz of spells provided by the magic community." Seeing Paige open her mouth to protest he held up a hand, silencing her as he resumed. "Keep in mind this was all by his own choosing. What you witnessed were the weaker forms that managed to slip through the defenses when Chris called upon them. Bianca's actions... well, it's like plugging a hole, she simply severed the connection that allowed the residual power to flow through and when it was reversed it allowed them to drain back twice as fast. Chris would have been able to handle this rush of power had he been awake but Leo's potion managed to put him into a coma like state." Cole finished as he looked at where the Elder's body had once lay, his hands curled into fists as he thought of what he'd like to do to the Leo of either timeline.

"Why would Leo do such a thing? And what kind of potion puts someone in a coma?" Phoebe asked, her curiosity and worry forcing her to ignore her own fears and ask what she really wanted to know. She felt betrayed by the man she had come to rely on to always show her the right path and the churning feeling in her gut told her that she had only uncovered the tip of the iceberg in regards to what Leo was capable of doing.

Belle soft voice filled the room and all eyes were drawn to her, though her own never moved from Chris' currently stilled form. Though they could tell she was grateful that he had stopped flaying around, his unmoving body was equally worrying. "Leo was tricked." Belle's words were sour on her tongue as she realised she could not directly blame Leo for Chris' current state but that did not mean he was blameless. "It wasn't the potion itself that caused his coma it was..."

Paige watched transfixed as Belle ran a hand down Chris' face before turning her sharp silver eyes to her and Phoebe, an anger blazing in them that they had never seen cross the girl's face before.

"Lilac. He's deathly allergic to it." Those from the future simply chuckled darkly as they remembered how grateful they were that very few people - not even Wyatt - knew about Chris' allergy, it had caused the boy many infuriated rants when he was younger and was had realised it was a ridiculously mortal way to die.

The cold calculated words out of Belle's mouth only reinforced the fury no doubt flowing through her as she felt Chris' own frustration amplified through her body. "If you want to even be able to _remember_ Chris and what he came here to do than I suggest you leave now and focus on finding Piper and Leo before it's too late for them."

Paige eyed the young girl, she didn't have to be an empath to read the emotions she was throwing, she could tell it was taking everything in her to not trash the room and probably her and Phoebe alongside it. Her eyes linked with Phoebe who she noticed had begun to look dejectedly at the map again. Begrudgingly she agreed collecting Phoebe before she orbed them away to magic school in search of answers. Hoping their whitelighter would awaken soon because she really wasn't sure how to save Piper and Leo without him.

All those with healing powers placed their hands on top of Chris' still body and hoped as the golden light - and purple in Prue's case - streamed out of their hands that it would be enough. Waiting with baited breath they felt the magic coursing through them as one, ebbing and flowing, feeding off their hopes for him to awaken. Every eye was trained on his face waiting for the familiar jade orbs to appear again, waiting to hear his commanding tone focused on their fight but more than anything they waited to feel his arms around them once more, as he quietly reassured them he was alright.


	18. The Courtship of Wyatt's Father Part 2

**_A/N: To all those still reading, thanks. Also this one has been uploaded so quickly since as a result of me splitting the chapters I was too tired to finish the chapter and then my mum needed help shopping so yeah. Anyway this is how the last chapter was supposed to end. To my loyal readers I thank you for understanding that real life comes first and I have very limited free time to write but regardless of all that I enjoy writing this and you obviously enjoy reading this otherwise you would read it since I only update just shy of a month at a time. So I'm going to go now... On with the story!_**  
><strong><em>~ Gabz<em>**

A slight sniff was heard followed by a huff as one of the clocked figures paced up and down the attic. "I swear if this doesn't work... or if this does work and but he ends up not being conceived, I'll blow his ass back to the future as he disappears." Lowering her hood with hands that were as smooth as one would expect from a person who died before their time, she ran them through her hair, her pacing picking up speed with each passing second. Her mahogany hair streaked with the occasional grey that only seemed to add an element of wisdom and worldly experience to her persona as opposed to making her look old. However the determination in her words seemed to give their collective magic and Chris himself the last kick needed.

"T-thanks m-mum." Came the stuttered and pain filled reply from Chris' aching mouth, his tongue felt like a fluffy cloud and he could have sworn his eyelids were being held down by lead. "I feel like I was just electrocuted but sure threaten me anyway." His lips managed to quirk into a slight half-smile that seemed to cheer up everyone in the room. This was the Chris they knew and loved - sarcastic even after just coming back from death's cool grasps.

Paige lowered her own hood and ruffled her nephew's hair, her laugh lines present on her face even without a trace of a smile. Her sharp trouble catching eyes not missing how he flinched away momentarily before recognizing she was her future self. Her heart broke as fresh memories of what they had done to Chris flooded her, with a watery smile she continued on knowing it would help no one to dwell on the elephant in the room.

"You smart-mouthed pain, giving us a fright like that." Paige gripped in a bone-crushing hug that defied her words letting him know she meant no harm by them and it was simply their usual banter falling into place. Finally she smiled a somewhat watery smile as she looked at him and was rewarded with the biggest smile she had ever seen grace his face.

As his green eyes shone with happiness, Cole and Prue breathed a collective sigh of relief at the presence of the true joy they thought they'd never see again. Though it was undeniable that Chris loved his children, the removal of his aunts and mother destroyed a part of him forever that even Belle, Peyton and Parker could not cover. However as he hugged his deceased mother and Aunt Phoebe for the first time in nearly a decade, they saw that old part of him return.

Turning towards his Aunt Paige, Chris buried himself into her familiar embrace unable to believe that he had gone without one of her pep-talks or hugs for what felt like forever through he was sure it had only been a few months. Breathing in each of their unique smells brought fresh tears to his eyes as he realized that just like everything else in this year the perfumes and shampoos that they had finally settled into were not yet manufactured. As such they all still smelt a little off and were a constant reminder that they were not the women he knew and loved and that to them he was a stranger imposing on them and wearing down their patience, when all he wanted to do was be wrapped in their arms and comforted. Paige soothed him, pressing a loving kiss to his cheek before pointing him in the direction of the remaining hooded figure.

Finally the forth figure removed her hood, her hair just as it had been the day she had left him. With a heart wrenching sob Chris broke down, tears streamed endlessly down his face as he faced his wife barely able to hear her quiet words of reassurance over his own loud cries of disbelief. Somewhere inside of him he understood his inability to regain control of his emotions was a side affect of his brush with death but at the moment he didn't care, they could all see him cry like a baby and he knew wouldn't be judged by the people who'd already seen him at his worse.

Chris figured he'd eventually see his mother and aunts again as The Halliwells had an ability when it came to coming back from the dead be it corporeal or not. But Bianca, he thought he'd lost her forever, he refused to hold out hope that if he managed to save the world she would be there waiting for him on the other side it just wasn't worth the pain that he'd feel if he'd had hope and she wasn't there. While she might have never being brutally murdered by his brother, he_ was_ Christopher Perry Halliwell and nothing ever went his way. So if it wasn't his tyrant of an older brother it could just as easily be another demon or even a mortal accident and he knew he wouldn't survive that.

Paige's grip was the only thing keeping him standing as they moved towards her. Tears relentlessly streamed down his face and Chris couldn't find it in himself to be embarrassed by that as he embraced at his wife allowing her well-known scent to overwhelm his senses. As he held her in his arms so solid and real he realized by denying himself that hope he was doing more harm than good and he was not only letting down himself and his children but he was letting her down as well.

Slowly greetings were exchanged and everyone caught up on what was believed to have happened to Piper and Leo. Phoebe cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, their next plan of action needed to be thoroughly thought out and that would require all of them at their best. As such Chris would have to sit this one out, while his body may have been healed to the point of consciousness, it was still too worn out to be of any use at the moment. Even then the physical exhaustion was nothing compared to the emotional toil he was undoubtedly suffered - whether Leo knew it or not Chris was now going to have deal with the fact that his father had basically killed him not to mention the reappearance of dead family members that he'd thought he'd made peace with but apparently hadn't.

Phoebe shook her thoughts aside and opened her mouth to address them when her attention was caught by a lamp turning to glass before her eyes, while that should not have been that weird of an occurrence, she still looked around the room trying to figure out what had just happened. The crystallized object resulted in everyone's training kicking and swiftly a formation that accounted for their growing numbers was created leaving not a single space of the attic was unguarded.

Unaware of the turmoil around him Victor looked at his hand in merriment. "Huh, so that's what magic feels like." Victor's worn voice was filled with wonder and so child-like that it made Peyton and Parker laugh before they realised that meant that they too could have new powers that they were unaware of. As one their happy laugh quickly turned quietly devious, barely sparing a glance at the other and instinctually knowing that they were thinking the same thought Parker and Peyton lifted a foot and prepared to skedaddle. Before they could do anything two pairs of arms wrapped around their waists with iron like grips and hoisted them up. Growling in annoyance the two looked up into Cole and Prue's respective eyes hoping their smiles reflected an innocence no one believed they possessed.

Jake smiled at Victor's reaction before a violent sneeze overcame him and suddenly he was across the room. Splaying his arms out beside him in an attempt to keep a grip on reality only resulted in a pillow from Great Aunt Pearl's couch to fly off its regular perch. His fearful eyes quickly locked on Natalie's as he sprouted out words that he hoped conveyed just what he was feeling. "Okay what the hell just happened."

Natalie smirked and waved as she watched her fiancé stutter about trying to get his bearings all the while looking a little green. Waving her hand mockingly Natalie couldn't help but gasp as she found that her fingers were suddenly disappearing along with the rest of her body. Running over to the mirror she watched as her body slowly became invisible as she fought desperately to stop it.

"Well Jake it appears Chris has the power of teleportation on top of his orbing not to mention his telekinesis that you seemed to have gained." Cole stated as he looked at his nephew and charge proudly. His voice was like that of a wise professor as he prepared to examine the various powers Chris had in his arsenal now distributed amongst their group. Normal witches didn't even get one form of movement while Chris got orbing, teleportation and who knows what else. His eyes were drawn to the suddenly quiet boy and he couldn't help but beam at his charge but more importantly at his _nephew_ with unrelenting pride. Wyatt can keep his Twice-Blessed, Ruler of the World title all he wanted, Chris had the real power.

Bianca was wrapped in Chris arms, her fingers mindlessly tracing a map of his scars. Her head nestled in his chest, as his steady heart beat under her ear kept her grounded as she breathed him in, memorizing ever contour of his body. The way her body melded into his, how his actions were always a continuation of hers, a synchronization that spoke volumes of how suited they were to each other. Even without their powers the two of them were connected on a wavelength others spent years trying to achieve. Bianca knew it was hard for her kids to see her alive especially when she would have to leave them again and therefore did not push them to see her or speak to her but silently she wished they would respond to her. Even if it was a sharp look of hatred or betrayal, anything would be better than nothing. Her eyes closed as she listened to the steady thrum of his heart, never wanting to leave Chris again, but knowing that she would have to - at least until Chris saved the future.

Chris pulled her tighter as if sensing what she needed, his strong arms kept her firmly against him and she realised he probably needed this connection as much as she did. Bianca watched as Victor glanced at her sympathetically and she quickly realised what had happened - it seemed he had also gained Chris' telepathy if not that he at least had gained empathy and recognized the feeling having been in a similar position when he had first contacted his daughters after Penny's death.

If it was telepathy though, its uncontrolled nature meant he would undoubtedly have a killer headache in a while. As Bianca thought of the newest power, she chuckled watching Victor's face light up as if he hadn't quite realised that was what was happening. Given that he had such an enthusiastic reaction she narrowed it down to basic telepathy and was glad he didn't have the control or time to learn how to manipulate someone's thoughts to do his bidding. Noticing his eyes widen a fraction she shook her head and chuckled in enjoyment focusing on him she pinpointed one thought and projected it as loudly as she could gaining a sick sense of accomplishment when he clutched his head slightly. _'Stay out of my head, Old Man.'_

A small smile took over his face as he recognized the teasing undertone to her words, finally he nodded and Bianca allowed herself to relax again content that her thoughts would belong to her and her alone. Hearing Chris chuckle deeply she blushed knowing he'd witnessed the whole childish interaction. But when she felt the small kiss he placed in her hair she knew it'd be alright, that he'd have probably done something much similar anyway.

Chris sighed in amusement as he watch Jake and his Gramps try to figure out the various powers they'd gained. The two mortals happier than a kid on Christmas since they were finally able to see what all the fun was about. Though in the past Victor had tried to distance himself from magic, especially given that it had taken many of the people he loved from him, with Belle, Peyton and Parker around he couldn't help but see the 'magic' in the magic.

Feeling Bianca shift slightly he looked down to make sure she was still there before letting his tired green eyes roam over his Uncle Cole and Aunt Prue only to find them in the middle of a discussion with Phoebe, he could tell it was taking everything in Prue to not clutch her sister to her and never let her go again.

Belle funnily enough appeared to have picked up the ability to shoot light darts and was currently firing them at Paige who had obtained the ability to absorb offensive powers and then use the energy from that to fuel her own counteractive magic. The blast ball forming in her hands made Chris turn away wanting to claim plausible deniability when that ended badly. Both had matching grins on their faces and he couldn't help but think about how well the three of them would have grown as witches had they had the opportunity to challenge each other properly.

His eyes rested on his mothers warm brown ones for a moment before he registered that she was beginning to fall not only through the couch - where she was perched enjoying the hustle and bustle of the attic a fond smile on her face - but continuing straight through the floor as well. Chris vividly remembered the day his mother had embraced magic as a part of her children and their cousin's lives, he believed it was actually right around the time Prue and Cole's return was made known. With a wave of his hand he created a telekinetic chair that she was able to sit on. A smirk settled on his face as he quickly remembered the day he'd finally had his powers bound, he was certainly glad to see that power go never really understanding how to control it but knowing he only needed to focus to call it back when needed. He had managed to gain control over many of his other powers yet that one always escaped him but in his falling three stories through the manor was not exactly motivational.

Though she smiled at him gratefully he could still hear his mother muttering about the stupid purposes of intangibility a point which he readily agreed with. However he couldn't help but laugh when Natalie shot back from her position behind Chris' left shoulder that at least they were able to see her.

Chris smiled as he listened to his family's jest filled bickering, it was exactly what he remembered his childhood to be like - just more or less people depending on the day. Let it be said there was never a quiet _or_ normal day in the Halliwell Manor.

He felt Bianca lean back further in his arms and looked down to see their children attached to one leg each, both crying into her jeans. They had both stripped the glamor and their grief was reflected in the pools of emerald staring back at him.

The sky outside rapidly darkened, clouds appearing out of nowhere as thunder clapped through San Francisco on what had been an otherwise sunny day. Chris touched Bianca's cheek tenderly as he realised she now had a steady stream of water running down her cheeks, her heart breaking at the pain her children were feeling. It appeared she had gained Atmokinesis or "weather manipulation" and her tears - a mix of pain and joy - were filling the skies with dispatched areas of rain and sun.

Pressing soft kisses to her silky hair Chris watched as the stemming of her tears correlated with the weather outside. Shifting his attention to their daughter he stroked Peyton's hair softly as she silently let out everything she had been keeping bottled in. Parker disentangled himself from Bianca's leg and instead pulled himself into his dad's arms, resting his head on his mother's shoulder as his sharp breathing softened.

Belle tore her eyes away from the smoking desk that had met the unfortunate end of Paige's energy blast and smiled wearily at Chris. She knew Chris, Bianca, Parker and Peyton were undoubtedly feeling unbelievable elation at finally being together again, but she knew there was no way any of them had forgotten about the ticking clock that was counting down the moments until Bianca was taken away again.

Slowly Belle managed to get the others into a circle with Chris at the head and the somber attitude returned as they waited for someone to cut the tension and state the fact that they all knew was coming. Unsurprisingly they all glanced to Piper so used to seeing her take the lead both when she was alive and from their experiences in 2004. They noticed that unlike the woman they had come to know, her eyes were filled with terror as she shook her head unable to tell her son that she had to leave him again, especially since this was the first time she had been brave enough to see him since her death. Brave wasn't even the right word since it was Chris' magic that brought her here in the first place not her own desire to see her son.

The words of reason came from a warm honey-like voice that was tinged with regret clearly not wanting to leave despite her words. "Chris we can't stay here, you have to send us back. It's not our time, despite what you might want or even need, we have our place and it's not here." Phoebe could feel everyone's sadness as the words left her lips but she knew that Piper would not survive giving this speech herself. "We love you and wish we could stay but you know if it was meant to be it would have happened normally and not just because your powers went haywire and granted your wishes." Phoebe words were stated with as much calm as she could muster, even going so far as to brush his hair back with her new found telekinesis, yet despite her best efforts her voice broke towards the end and her eyes had become glossy, covered with a sheen of unshed tears. Breathing in deeply she shot up and moved over unsteadily over to him, her lips pressing to against his forehead fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. Surprisingly all that escaped was a small sniff but it was enough to get Chris moving. Without hesitating Chris linked his arms around his aunt's neck giving her a hug that was not nearly long enough for either of them.

"Destiny and Death may have a soft spot for you but even they aren't this lenient." Piper's voice was soft, filled with a touch of amusement that carried across the deadly silent room as she looked at her son and sighed when he once again was unable to meet her eyes.

She knew it was because of her death. Specifically that she had died in his arms and he was unable to do anything but hold her while she drifted away and that she had not come the many times he had called for her spirit. So while he strongly blamed himself there was definitely a small part of his heart that blamed her for leaving him. Knowing Chris as well as she did, she was certain the only way to get through to him was repeating something until he believed it himself. With that in mind she left her eyes trained on his face and began speaking, her voice soft but informative. "Sweetie, we'll help you with whatever you want to do with your powers but you understand more than anyone why we have to go back."

Feeling him tense, Bianca looked up from her spot in Chris' arms, speaking directly to him knowing he needed her support more than anything right now. "Your mother's right Chris, besides look at how much you have already changed, your on the right path and you have two of the biggest players backing you." She paused as everyone let out a small chuckle most remembering how charismatic Chris was as a child to the point that he had Death and Destiny wrapped around his little finger by six.

"Honestly Wyatt should have known better than to mess with Destiny, and Death well he really likes his souls to arrive in a steady stream not clumps like Wyatt does." Bianca chuckled as she remembered meeting the two just before Chris had been sent to the past, the meeting was definitely one she'd never forget, seeing two of the most powerful beings in the world having tea in their family's bunker in The Resistance was not something one easily forgets. She met them one time after that when they had come to collect her from the attic, she had seen the pain in her husband's eyes and wanted nothing more than to ease it but Destiny has been adamant that this was not supposed to happen and that Chris was close to fixing everything, closer than even he realized. Meaning that as much as she wanted to stay with him, she had to pass on over - if only for a while - and give Chris what little hope she could to continue with his mission in her last sentence. Of course Bianca thought Destiny got off on making others suffer and jump through hoops, but if that meant she didn't have to die and leave her family - in the long run anyway - that was fine by her.

"Besides the only reason they let you keep these two was because neither side wanted them. They were causing too much havoc and they knew you would be able to juggle them." Paige stated with a playful smirk at her sister and Cole. Quiet protests were made by the two in question as they stated their defenses and real reasons why they were chosen above everyone else for this honour. But honestly they let the whole issue drop because it was nice to finally see the smile that had crossed Chris face even in the midst of what was bound to be the beginning of their farewell.

Chris laughed gently as he mulled over his aunt's words and contemplated the possibility that it was true. Considering how much trouble the two of them caused him and Belle he finally concluded that there was a very high that what Paige was saying was in fact a strong component to their choice. Regardless of that he glanced at his guardians with a large happy smile as he took the time to sort his thoughts, honestly he didn't care one way or another as to how they came about as long as he got to keep them. Sighing he finally looked his mother in the eyes and was overwhelmed by the love and pride in them. After months of having the exact same pair staring at him coldly, holding nothing but resentment and distrust, Chris was barely able to control his tears.

As one Bianca moved to the side and Piper towards Chris. She gathered him in her arms and stroked his hair reassuringly. It had been so long since Piper had held her son that all she did was memorize ever new scrape, scar and small change in him. She inhaled his scent searing it into her memory hoping that she would be alive again when the time came, but knowing that if for some reason she wasn't she would always answer his call - she would not be too cowardly to see him, she would not miss the chance to see him grow up into the strong young man in front of her.

Though at times she had been able to see him from above she was still too overwhelmed by who her shy thirteen year old baking assistant had become to know how to help him even when he needed her the most.

Clucking her tongue at him she fingered a piece of his hair wondering where all her lessons had disappeared to. "You need a haircut Christopher." Piper's chastising words only caused Chris to finally snuggle tighter into her arms, seeking the familiar solace he had unmeasurably missed. She stroked his hair as he slowly let it all out, the wet patch she could feel on her shoulder the only indication of his state of despair as he had finally gained control of his body as had nearly returned to the soldier Chris they all knew.

Knowing it was time to go Piper motioned for the others to say their final goodbyes as she clutched her son and prepared to give him the farewell he had needed 9 years ago.

Bianca grabbed her two little hooligans in her arms and held them tight. Both had tears in their eyes as they clutched to their mother's currently corporeal form not wanting to let go, knowing they had no choice but to hope they'd see her again soon. Bianca's soothing voice floated gently to their ears and washed over their hurt hearts, healing cuts they'd had since her non-return from the future. "You have to promise me you'll keep being good for Aunt Prue and Uncle Cole they'll inevitably need help with your father and you'll be there to help them. Auntie Mel, Belle, Natalie and Jake need you to remind them of what their fighting for and remind them to have a break and a bit of fun once in a while, keep them hopeful when it seems like they have lost it. And not just that, I need you to keep an eye on your father, he'll say he is fine, but you have to remind him what fun is and what kind of world your fighting to save. But most importantly remember that though I may have to leave for now, I will be waiting for you to return through the portal when the time comes for your return to a better future." At their nods she pressed soft kisses to their heads running her hand in a soothing motion through their hair. A single tear escaping her watery eyes as she held everything together for the Parker and Peyton.

Peyton swiped her mothers eyes and caught the fallen tear as her brother gripped her, his body wracking with sobs as he said goodbye. "Mummy you promise you'll be there, right? When we save Wyatt it will stop your death."

Parker's words were forced out of his raw throat and caused an ache to settle in Bianca's chest. She looked him in his eyes, the jade colour so similar to Chris' and tried to focus on conveying a confidence she didn't necessarily have. "I'll try sweetie, I'll really try."

Peyton tangled her fingers in her mothers soft hair, allowing the thin strands to spill through her fingertips until she reached the end. Her eyes focused solely on the strands and not the face they were attached to. The brown strands matched the lighter ones in her own hair and as she realized that, Peyton allowed herself to let go with the knowledge that she'd always have that part of herself to remind her of her mother.

Parker shimmered out of his mothers arms and landed in Chris' strong and supportive ones bunching his hands into his father's shirt for support. Chris felt Parker bury his head into the crook of his neck, which quickly grew damp as a result of the tears escaping his troubled green eyes. Seeing how much his baby boy needed him gave Chris the strength to pull himself together. He'd spent the last half-hour or so grieving and now it was time to say goodbye to Chris Halliwell and return to Chris Perry - the strong warrior they all needed him to be at the moment.

With Bianca left only clutching Peyton she felt herself longing for normalcy - not the same way Piper had once felt but the life Chris had in his early years. School in the day, than demon vanquishes in the afternoon and home in time for supper. That was the normalcy they were striving to achieve.

A life where she would be able to hold her daughter in her arms as she drifted to sleep to a dreamland filled with wonder and the occasional nightmare not the other way around. Where she would be able to stroke Pey's hair or plait it into a ridiculous up do that Peyton would only put up with because she knew how much it meant to her mother that they had this time together.

A world in which shows like Spongebob and Hannah Montana were not watched simply because they were the only available copies left since Wyatt took over, running them underground in the process. Instead shows that they were able to watch for fun and not forced to give them more meaning to them in hopes of a moment of slight comedic relief.

A life where she could watch as Parker learnt to ride a bike. A world where she would live long enough to watch him experience his first love and a world in which she would only ever have to leave her husband's arms when she felt like it.

Chris watched through glassy eyes as Bianca slid to the floor taking Peyton with her. It was clear that though her mind was elsewhere her body remembered the normal task of experimenting with Peyton's hair, the silky strands were familiar enough to provide her a small measure of comfort before she had to leave this world once more. Pey seemed to allow herself the small amount of time to enjoy her mother's presence once more as she curled into Bianca's body and angled her head to allow her mother better access, the small smile crossing her face both melancholy and joyous.

The slight snore alerted Chris to the fact Parker had drifted to sleep in his arms. As he stroked the Parker's hair he sensed that the simple act appeared to be warding off any nightmares that would have ensued after a start like today's. His small chest moving up and down rhythmically caught Chris' attention and he was exceedingly grateful that his son would miss the final round of farewells and the resulting tears. Just as Chris prepared to address the remaining futuristic family members he felt Parker suddenly get lighter. Looking down he couldn't help his gasp which was accompanied by Bianca's worried cry as they saw their two children's now ghost-like extremities.

Piper watched as Chris closed his eyes seemingly trying to hold onto the little bit of reality he could as his children flashed in and out of existence. Though she was furious that he would risk his own existence even if he was doing it to save his brother, she understood that he was more concerned about his children's wellbeing right now than listening to her lecture him on his idiotic decision. Luckily the stress of ceasing to exist was taking a toll on the kids so they were not waking up, she wasn't sure any of them could deal with having to tell Parker and Peyton why they were fading. She watched Chris' shaking hand run down Parker's face, his eyes filling with tears as the tips went through his translucent skin, not making enough of an impact to wake the boy.

The moment of worry was set aside as Demons and Darklighters flamed and dark-orbed in around them their eyes momentarily widening as they took in the number of witches around them. That momentarily flash of emotions was quickly replaced as they each summoned their various weapons prepared to get what they came for. The Charmed Ones whitelighter was supposed to be an easy target at the moment and the Elder had certainly not mentioned the cavalry he apparently travelled with but they were definitely up for a challenge.

The was a second of complete calm before the chaos ensued. Seconds into the fight, several demons screamed in agony as they were vanquished. The leader quickly noticed an excited gleam in two of the male's eyes, it was the sign of a beginner - always was regardless of their age. Sending a fireball wrapped in electricity towards each of them he was in no way prepared for their actions. Instantly the younger man repelled the fireball back towards him before teleporting behind him and holding him in place as the older man started crystalizing his form. He could feel each molecule in his body breaking as the crystallization process broke the cell walls. Screaming out in silent agony all he could do was wait and watch as his fellow brethren fell around him. His last thought as he felt the final cell in his body shatter was 'it was supposed to be easy.'

Chris fought valiantly as he tried to protect his fully translucent children. Yet with no powers to speak of it involved a lot of ducking and mortal fighting, the blades flung from his hands with otherworldly precision did help and he was grateful for insisting they always practiced without their magic. His mind felt light and foggy as he tried to focus on the demon in front of him. Unfortunately his distracted state of mind hindered his fighting ability more than it usually would and he watched as a stream of electricity came spiraling towards him. Bracing himself for the impact he was surprised when he felt nothing, the stream simply passing straight through him as the world shifted to a grey-scale colouring.

"Daddy?" Peyton's small voice sounded behind him and he noticed Parker and her were now completely whole and awake.

Eyeing the now empty room Chris' face paled, what colour it had regained immediately left as he realised what he'd unintentionally and uncontrollably just left Natalie fighting. "This is not good, Pey. Not good at all."


	19. The Courtship of Wyatt's Father Part 3

**A/N Sorry everyone didn't realize how long it had been, here's the first part. I'm hurrying to finish and edit the rest of this chapter and will hopefully have it posted as Part 4 within the next 24 hours.**  
><strong>~ Gabz<strong>

Peyton looked down at her wrist cringing as she saw the bone protruding. Luckily she felt no pain only fear. Sparing a hesitant glance at her brother she noticed the multiple scars running across his body, the dull green of his eyes - one that were almost swollen shut as a result of the cut across his brow. Peyton squeezed her father's hand tightly. She didn't fully understand what was happening but she knew it was not good. More than anything she knew the last thing she wanted to do was see the state her dad was in. If Parker and her were this bad and they were only children, she couldn't imagine what her father truly looked like.

Chris' brow furrowed as he tried to understand why they looked like this. He understood that it was their souls currently trapped here but no one had ever told him that you would actually see the damage inflicted on your soul in physical form. But then again before Wyatt's regime people may have suffered torture but not to the extent that Chris suffered.

In fact even in the future Wyatt's demons had a tendency to be too cocky and accidentally kill their capture before they had a chance to truly torture them. All in all it seemed Wyatt didn't see the irony that in trying to protect his family he was actually inflicting the most damage upon them. Like his children, Chris chose not to examine the full extent of their damage instead content to simply feel their hands in his own. He wasn't going to question why they couldn't feel the injuries instead simply be grateful for that blessing and try to figure out how to get them back to the living dimension.

"Dad?" Parker's voice was hesitant as he gripped his father's hand tighter. "We're going to be okay, right?" Parker subtly wiped a tear that had fallen. His emotions were running out of control. Something that never happened to him and seemed to emphasize that they were in a situation completely out of their depth, a situation they had no power over.

Chris bent down and looked Parker in the eye, trying to avoid focusing on the swelling. E|Wrapping his arms around the small boy he couldn't help but try to remind himself that his kids were _only _four and six, with the world they grew up in they were forced to mature so much faster than he would have liked and as such he often forgot just how young they were.

He was so used to Peyton being the emotional one out of the two that he knew for Parker to be getting scared their situation was as dire as he thought it to be. "Yeah, don't worry we'll be fine." Chris knew they could both tell he didn't completely believe the words escaping his own lips and he was immensely grateful they weren't going to call him on it.

:: :: :: :: ::

Mel grunted as another fireball seared her side, her eyes screwed up in pain, refusing to scream and give the bastard the pleasure of seeing the raw agony she was in. Wyatt's right hand man laughed cruelly, tauntingly as he warmed up another fireball. He'd been surprised but not unhappy when he'd walked into his allocated dungeon and found the girl standing there trying to figure out where she was. The girl had looked familiar her dark hair and glinting green eyes striking a memory at the back of his brain. Unwilling to dwell on the matter for much longer, he'd immediately chained her to the wall and began his target practice. The amused glint in his eyes was quickly replaced by one of pain as he was consumed by flames that seemed to grow with each agonized screech.

Mel dragged her eyes up trying to understand what had happened when she met a pair of bright azure eyes. Wyatt's blonde hair seemed to be slightly shorter than she'd last laid eyes on her brother but not significantly so. However it was subtlety growing and shortening in interspersing gaps reinforcing what she had guessed. That the slight improvement was her other brother's doing and her current predicament - released from the necklace but trapped in Wyatt's dungeon was the result of his idiotic actions that had put his conception at risk.

"Why?" Mel's statement was simple and encompassed everything she wanted to know. At that moment she was questioning the universe as much as she was questioning her brother.

"Mel. You look like shit." Wyatt's tone was distant but he couldn't help his involuntary smile at the familiar scoff that passed through her split lips. Moving his hand he released the chains, chastising himself for wincing slightly when he heard the pained yell escape Mel as she hit the floor, her injuries far more severe than he'd initially assumed. "Why are you here Mel? Chris wouldn't have let you come back on your own."

Wyatt's tone held no trace of uncertainty in his deceleration of Chris' concern for Mel's safety. It was one of the few things the brothers agreed on. They would do anything to protect their family, they simply had different views on the way the world worked and who technically counted as family. Wyatt also believed that family needed to be punished, if they couldn't survive the process that was their own fault.

"I asked you first." Mel's stubbornness was often the reason behind many of her arguments with Wyatt, while Chris had a stubbornness to match her own and they theoretically should argue more with each other than with Wyatt it seemed that a strand of raw honesty ran through them as well and they had never felt the need to sugarcoat things like Wyatt did. Thereby saving them a lot of fights.

"He was getting too powerful anyway." Wyatt dismissed Melinda's question quickly unwilling to admit to either of them that their might have been a part of him hat had cared that his baby sister was in pain. "Now _how _did you get here?" Wyatt growled out his question annoyed at how evasive his sister was being, her sharp tongued and quick wit meant she often derived a fair amount of pleasure from one upping him.

Besides she'd only gotten more insistent as Wyatt had taken over, so her uncharacteristic silence was causing something unpleasant to stir within him. If he really had to think of a word to put with the emotion he'd be ashamed to admit it seemed like fear and concern. Yes he probably could claim that the fear he was feeling was his brother coming up with a plan to destroy all of his hard work. Yet despite the fact that often he was fine with lying to himself this one wouldn't take and a voice in his head screamed that his fear was for his siblings lives. Something that hadn't bothered him for a good few years.

"Chris is ceasing to exist. Nothing really for you to worry about." Mel smiled cruelly seeing the affect the news was having on her brother, while she was grateful to see that Chris was right about there being something innately human still in Wyatt, this was one of her only chances to give her brother a taste of his own medicine.

She vividly remembered the way he'd tortured Chris with memories of their mother's death even going as far as conjuring shape-shifters to replay the whole scene. Then once he'd finished that and Chris hadn't cracked he'd gotten a hand on Peyton and Parker and tortured them making Chris watch in a soundproof room with his powers bound so he was helpless to do anything. "Don't worry Wy, soon enough it will just be the two of us."

Wyatt scowled at his sister, before pulling her up to a standing positioning unable to stop the flash of pride that ran through him when she shifted her weight off him and stood looking as battle ready as ever despite the obvious injuries she was sporting.

Mel let her eyes close, ignoring the danger she was putting herself in by taking her eyes off Wyatt and instead choosing to try and feel her connection to Chris. She wasn't surprised when Wyatt's arm latched onto her own and flame them into his private chambers. However she couldn't help the shiver of disgust that went through her once they'd landed. While Parker's shimmering was a demonic power his good aura meant it felt just like orbing, but with Wyatt the all consuming evil surrounding him did nothing but rile her up for a fight. Sparing a glance at her eldest brother she was surprised to see a look of vulnerability on his face, his eyes closed, seeking to find some reassurance that Chris was still there.

Everything Wyatt had done had been for his siblings. To keep them safe and Chris in his plight to ruin everything Wyatt worked for had done the single most idiotic thing he could - started to erase himself from existence.

"You can feel it too, his presence is getting a little further away with each minute. Memories of him blurring until you can only see a pair of hauntingly familiar green eyes and only just remember it was him and not me." Mel's words cut through his concentration, stopping him from registering Chris' fluctuating presence growing stronger again.

Growling inhumanly at his sister, Wyatt prepared his rant turning his back momentarily. Mel looked at Wyatt's back not really sure how to deal with the opportunity she'd just been given, with Wyatt's defenses down she had a chance to do what no one other than Chris and herself had the power to do. She could destroy the monster and allow the future a chance to rebuild itself just in case they failed their quest in the past.

Focusing on the power within her she knew it wouldn't take long to ensure Wyatt combusted from the inside out, it was incredibly easy to rationalize her actions as the monster before her wasn't her brother no matter how many emotions he had let through in the small time she'd been in his presence. But as she prepared to release the powerful blast, her gut was telling her to hold off - that they would need Wyatt be he good or bad at some point in the future. And if there was one thing Mel had no problem doing it was listening to her gut.

"What is it that you two seem incapable of understanding, there is no good, no evil. Power gives us all the protection we need-" he heard Mel scoff interrupting his speech, her disbelief hitting him in waves as her projection power tapped into her emotions. Scowling at her he opened his mouth to respond when she disappeared from his sight with nothing but a taunting smirk on her mouth as she flipped him off.

Mel landed back in the attic, looking up at a frightened Natalie. Peyton and Parker were hiding behind Chris' legs clearly unsure about what was happening. Unfortunately while Chris was still mainly whole, his kids still resembled ghosts. Within seconds the Darklighters they had been fighting reappeared and unlike her family they seemed unaware of the shifting universes.

While others witches who's fear limited their powers, Chris' powers only increased with the need he had to protect his family. Reaching inside him he tapped into the small bundle of magic ebbing inside of him. He was unfamiliar with this power it felt different to the others he'd used before yet it wasn't completely foreign.

Splaying his hands out in front of him, he stepped forward noticing that everyone stood frozen. However he was positive this was not his freezing ability. Beside him Parker's eyelid ticked down slightly and he watched as other normally imperceptible movements became slowly visible.

Grabbing the athame at his hip, he quickly moved around the room taking care of the demons and darklighters surrounding his loved ones. He felt the power slowly begin to fade as movement became slightly faster. Moving back to his children he tried to sear the feeling of that particular power knowing he wasn't going to be able to use it again, at least for a very long time but he never wanted to forget what it felt like.

"Daddy?" Peyton's soft voice reached her father's ears as she tried and failed to grab onto his leg, her hands instead passing right through him.

Chris looked down at his daughter seeing her actually look like the frightened four year old she was. Pulling her to him, Chris was not surprised that it came at a price. He understood the way this was going to work even more than he had assumed. He had a choice that much was obvious. Either he stayed with his kids and faded back to the ghostly plane before they all faded out forever or he stayed with the others and fought for a way to bring Piper and Leo back and leave his kids to fade from existence… alone.

Seeing the look in her brother's eyes Mel took a step forward reaching her arm forward as if to touch him before she lost him for what could be forever. Chris stepped back hoping Mel understood that it was for her safety he knew what would happen to him but he wasn't sure if he would be risking her existence if he let her touch him. "Chris?"

"I can't let them do this on their own Mel. They're my kids and I won't let them go through that alone." His eyes locked on his Aunt Prue as he noticed her paler than usual pallor. His eyes moved next to her where he noticed Belle's fingertips were now see-through. His heart broke as he watched her cross the room to stand next to him and as she grabbed onto Parker's hand the rest of her body flickered momentarily as it faded as well.

Belle watched as her parents grabbed hands, her dad's eyes were filled with tears as he watched most of his immediate family begin their final descent into non-existence.

"Someone has to keep them safe." Belle chuckled quietly as she tried to elevate the worry and sorrow etched across their faces. Her voice was light but they all heard the slight croak as her emotions got the best of her.

:: :: :: :: ::

As the four faded out, they heard the cry of despair that ripped from Victor's throat and saw the determination that flickered through the other's eyes as the others disappeared from sight replaced by a colorless attic.

Belle took one look at her cousin and his kids, her stomach churning as she moved over to the corner and emptied the little food she'd ingested. A little voice somewhere in her mind wondered if it would have had a strawberry tinge to it if they were in the real world. She felt Chris hesitantly place his hand on her back, stroking slightly.

It wasn't that she hadn't seen people who were coved in scars and injuries in the state her three family members - and most likely herself - were but she was well aware that this was their_ souls_. That while it didn't take much to harm a physical body, it took numerous and powerful attacks to even slightly damage a soul. A part of her wondered that if _when _Chris saved the future it was at all possible for them to ever be the people they were supposed to be or if their souls were just too damaged to ever truly subconsciously forget what happened.

Chris tried to not flinch at the whip marks present on her back. Brushing a few strands of her hair back he noticed the purple scaring the covered her temple. "It's okay Belle, we'll all be fine." Chris looked over to his children and ignored the injuries around them instead choosing to focus on their eyes and the need he saw in them. "We're all going to be just fine, everything will work out."

Peyton stepped closer to her brother, gripping his hand tightly and refusing to let herself be bothered by his injuries. Instead she focused on the fact that she could still feel his warm skin against her palm. Reassuring herself of the fact that he was still her with her as was their dad.

Pulling Peyton towards the other two Parker smiled slightly and knew his dad was right, everything _was_ going to work out. Halliwells did not give up on other Halliwells. It's why their dad never gave up on Wyatt - despite all the people who wished he would. It's why no one in The Resistance ever gave up hope either.

"I'm bored." His voice carried across the attic causing a smile to break on each of their faces just as Parker had hoped it would.

Chris shook his head in amusement and decided that Parker was right there was no point in sitting and waiting for the clock to run out. Despite that he refused to let them spend their time working out where Piper and Leo were. They needed to have some fun. His lips twitched as he thought of what would without a doubt cheer them all up and possibly give them a tiny bit of magic… if they needed it to protect themselves.

Bending down in front of Peyton and Parker, Chris placed a hand on each of their shoulders focusing on their eyes. Slowly closing his eyes he watched them do the same as they allowed him to feel their energy.

Suddenly hearing a thump and a hiss from one of the lower levels had all their heads turning in curiosity. Running out of the attic the four of them laughed as they notice do the two kittens in the middle of fighting over what seemed to be a ball of string.

A small ring of fire wrapped around Jinx as she continued to hiss at Twitch while he successfully latched onto the string. Peyton punched her brother in the arm as she ran to rescue her kitten from the inferno. Glaring at her brother her voice came out frustrated as she muttered about the unfairness of him having the ability to manipulate both fire and ice.

Parker whistled for Twitch as Peyton walked closer to the rapidly building flames. She may be his annoying little sister but he wasn't about to let her get burnt just because she had to rescue Jinx. Especially given that when her hair moved to the right with each alternating step he could see the burn marks on the back of her left shoulder, reminding him on the one time Wyatt had succeeded on getting them to use their powers against one another. Looking down at his arm he saw his own 'flesh' decayed from Peyton's energy ball, wishing he'd worn long sleeves today he quickly placed his arm behind his back not wanting him to have to deal with the guilt.

Chris watched as Belle convinced Peyton to use a small amount of her conjuring power provided by Jinx to create an obstacle course to see whose 'soul pet' was the best. He laughed as he noticed Squarkers - Belle's soul bird perched on her shoulder. The sound drew the others attention to the bird causing Peyton to add in a wire over the top to limit Squarkers' flight and some higher up obstacles that all three pets should be able to reach.

Moving Chris over to the end of the course, they moved the various animals into position and closed their eyes knowing that they'd need to be one soul to have a really interesting race. Not to mention all three of the animals had a tendency to get distracted by the smallest things and that was not acceptable in today's games.

Having never actually spent a lot of time with others in the ghostly plane, that one incident when he was six was not considered, Chris was rather amazed at the fact that as each of their eyes closed a translucent stream of colour appeared physically linking the two parts of their soul. Peyton's was a brilliant golden colour, Belle's a deep purple and Parker's was the same emerald green as his eyes. Whistling to start the race, Chris laughed once again as the three of them adorned mischievous smirks, their counterparts bolting to the first obstacle.

Fifteen minutes later Chris was cradling his head in his hands wondering how it was possible that the three of them were so competitive that there needed to be a sixth race. The course had not changed a single bit given that they needed to conserve the little power they had and as such each race got progressively shorter as they got better at the obstacles. Rubbing his hand against his temples, he shook his head as he realised this was exactly what he had wanted - he just hadn't expected it to be so noisy - they were all so busy arguing who had one the last race that they seemed to have forgotten about the impending doom.

As the chatter in the manner came to a complete stop, Chris head to snapped up and he noticed the flickering obstacle course. He was on his feet without a second thought crossing the room and locating his equally flickering daughter. "Come on Pey, just hold out a little longer."

Belle's eyes began to water as she watched Jinx disappear back inside Peyton, the significance of that not lost on her. Sitting down next to Chris she cradled Peyton's head in her lap as Chris continued to stroke her hair, trying to coax her to stay awake.

Parker grasped his sister's hand frantically trying to stay calm for her. "You can't go now, I just won the last race. Are you just going to let me win without even trying for a rematch?" He felt Peyton squeeze his hand in response but as he looked at her he noticed her eyelids were closing. "Okay fine, you won and I'm demanding a rematch." When nothing happened he shook her shoulder ignoring the part of his own mind that was starting to go foggy. "Pey? Wake up!"

Looking to his father he watched as the tears travelled rapidly down his cheeks. "Dad do something. Please…" His words cut off as his hand dropped of it's own accord, hitting the solid wooden floor as his sister disappeared from underneath them.

Wrapping his arms around his son, Chris clutched him tightly knowing he was not handle loosing the other two as well. Not that he was _handling _this in the first place. Parker shaking in his arms dragged him from his thoughts as a blanket of fear wrapping around the three of them, while they tried to organize their thoughts. Chris knew it wouldn't be much longer before he lost Parker and as such couldn't bring himself to let go just yet. Needing to feel his weight in his arms.

"Dad?!" The shocked high-pitched voice carried through the room shocking the three mourning souls.


	20. The Courtship of Wyatt's Father Part 4

**A/N Okay people as promised the second part of Yesterday's upload. Enjoy :)**

**~ Gabz  
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Chris' head snapped up as he pulled Parker behind him. He felt Belle move so there was two layers of protection between the intruders and Parker, he may be more than capable of taking care of himself usually but they were still protective and this wasn't a usual situation. Chris blinked his eyes rapidly clearing the tears as his eyes locked on the person responsible for him loosing his daughter. Lunging forward, Chris felt his hands curl as he focused his anger and grief on Leo.

"Chris, no!" Belled wrapped her hand around his fist pulling him back as she tried to maintain her own balance. "Don't do this. Don't become your father." She watched as his frantic movements faltered at the thought of doing to Leo exactly what had been done to him after Piper's death.

Seeing some of the tension leave him, Belle stepped forward her voice soft in his ear as she tried to soothe him, her words only audible to him. "Think of Peyton, would she want you to do this. What about Parker, are you going to make him watch his dad destroy his grandfather before we all cease to exist?"

Spinning on the spot, Chris picked Parker up worried about the fact that he was getting lighter. Feeling Parker's hands wrap around his neck as he continued to mourn his sister, Chris tried to infuse as much hope as possible into his next statement. "We're going to get her back buddy." Holding the back of Parker's head keeping him firmly in place against his shoulder, he tried to steady his mind. He knew it would be so easy to simply drown in the heartache but they needed to stay strong in order to bring her back.

"Belle, you have to focus. Focus on your mum and dad, hell focus on the whole family. Just let them know Piper and Leo are in the ghostly plane. That they have to get them out." Seeing that Belle was still standing in place, her eyes locked on the spot where Peyton had last been made Chris snap. "Now!" Though still lost in his grief he knew it yelling at her probably wasn't the best idea but it would definitely startle a response out of her.

Belle jumped hearing the pain and frustration in her cousin's voice. Wiping under her eyes, she quickly closed and allowed her thoughts to flow. _Needing_ them to be heard. She felt a presence next to her and knew it was Cole - the Cole of this time answering her unspoken request, she'd be able to recognize her father's presence anyway in any time. Hoping this didn't jeopardize the future, she grasped onto his hand using some of his energy to boost the signal.

'_Isabella?'_ Her father's soft, worried voice echoed in her mind. The slight inflections in it telling her she had finally reached someone who was able to help. Reeling in her emotions she focused on the important facts that she needed to get across. It didn't matter that all she wanted was for him to wrap his arms around her and hold her tight, she had Chris for now and he needed Piper and Leo to survive so all this mess could be undone.

Clearing her mind she projected a clear thought through to him hoping he'd understand what to do with it._ 'Piper and Leo, they're in the ghostly plane. I love you, Daddy.'_ She knew Chris would take care of everything on their end and hoped that her father wouldn't let them down.

'_I lo-' _The thought cut off as she felt Cole drop down in exhaustion beside her. Opening her eyes she was not surprised that he was not physically there when she looked at the floor, they were in different plane's after all.

"It's done." Her words were quiet but she saw Chris nod in acceptance. Moving back towards him she glanced at Leo noticing he was relying heavily on Piper. Taking Parker into her arms, she moved her eyes in Leo's direction and watched as Chris turned to his parents his eyes colder than she'd ever seen them. The grief overwhelming him more than either of them realised.

Chris felt his lip twist into a snarl as he looked at the selfish couple who would eventually become his parents, that's what they were in 2004 the Charmed Ones were undeniably selfish. While he'd previously cut Piper a lot of slack by reminding himself she wasn't his mother yet, she wasn't the woman he grew up with, the woman he loved, cherished and the woman who sacrificed herself to save him - it was hard to distinguish that right now and not see it as his mother betraying him. Leo however was aligning quite nicely with his future counterpart, meaning Chris' resentment for the man simply continued to grow with this act.

His eyes travelled over the pair ignoring their shocked faces as they continued to examine Parker and himself with curiosity. Feeling his nails dig into his skin he tried to understand what was so important that Belle had decided to leave him unrestrained in front of the reason why his daughter had ceased to exist. Clearing his mind to the best of his ability he quickly noticed the stain on Leo's jean jacket and the make-shift shirt bandage on Piper's arm.

As he took in Leo's sweat covered forehead and Piper's bandaged arm he figured they'd already had a few run ins with the Darklighter. Ones that obviously forced them to leave the manor given that they hadn't been here when Chris had first crossed over. Part of him wanted to let the poison slowly works its way through Leo's body but a much larger part, the part that wanted to survive, the part that wanted his children and Belle to survive, the part that wanted nothing more but to remove the pain, anger and sadness in Piper's- in his mother's eyes overruled the protesting part.

Scooping Twitch off the ground he gave the pet an affectionate pat, smiling in thanks to Belle as he felt Squarkers land on his shoulder. When he was a child he had not understood why his soul puppy had disappeared once Belle was born. However as he got older and he tried to summon Pickles back only to hear a heartbeat in his head he'd begun to understand. The understanding only growing as the heart beat doubled in strength with Parker's birth and once again with Peyton's birth, he understood that now a part of his soul was in each of them. Focusing on that now, a small part of him broke as he realised the already quieter drumming was growing weaker with each passing second.

Taking a deep breath he raised his hands and moved closer to Piper and Leo hoping to not scare them too badly.

Piper placed a protective arm on Leo as she took in Chris' stance, though he was obviously trying to be not threatening the coldness in his eyes was still there and his frame was wrought with tension. She watched as he loosened a little unconsciously in response to her own actions. Trying to distract him, Piper cleared her throat and let her inquisitive nature take over. "Chris, what are you doing here?"

Chris shrugged as he finished up with Piper's arm. Moving forward he knew that he would need to heal Leo slightly and give the others would have a chance to get them out while he was still breathing. Though his stomach churned at the thought, he knew that leaving Leo not completely healed would likely trigger Piper's guilt and cause his parents to ensure that he did exist when they popped back into their usual plane.

Piper quietly repeated her question not really sure that he understood the first time.

Chris smiled sardonically at Piper, the look sending shivers through her. "Isn't it obvious Piper." At her confused look, he chuckled humorlessly and she noticed his eyes dart back over to where the girl had just been. "I-we're ceasing to exist."

Ignoring the stab of guilt that ran through him as he watched her register his words, he simply took another step forward prepared to get this over with. Resting his hands over the fabric of Leo's chest, he frowned in frustration when he realised he was not able to heal the man. Focusing on his emotions he realised that bubbling hatred and resentment were all he was able to feel while in his 'father's' presence.

Groaning in frustration he thought about Peyton and Parker, he thought about Bianca and the fact that he still needed to fix the future for her. He thought about his Aunt Prue and Uncle Cole and the fact that they wouldn't survive if they lost Belle again. Finally he thought about his brother and sister and what would happen if he gave up. He thought about his family and felt a small tear trickle down his already tear stained face.

Without him realising a steady stream of golden light had begun to heal Leo, so as he heard the thrumming decrease even more, Chris wrenched his hand away from Leo before all but running back to Parker and Belle. His concerns were answered by both of them when he noticed the duller green in his son's eyes and the fact that Belle was struggling to keep holding a significantly lighter Parker. Moving so that he was holding Parker on one hip, he wrapped his other arm around Belle letting her rest her head on his chest, her soft hair tickling his chin as he rested it on the crown of her head.

"I thought you couldn't heal?" Instead of the usual malice he had become accustomed to hearing in Piper's voice, Chris was surprised to hear a soft note of curiosity and what appeared to be thankfulness as she cocked her head to the side as if trying to determine what was different about him.

"I had a bit of help." Chris' words were cold and distant not providing her with the answers she needed.

Somewhat annoyed at his evasiveness, Piper left Leo where he was moving towards the group until she noticed that Chris was countering her every move. Her eyes widened in surprise as the kitten that had been curled in a ball at Chris' feet disappeared, flickering momentarily before being sucked back into the boy who as she drew closer she realised looked exactly like Chris.

Noticing that Chris was holding himself in a position that did not allow them clear view of the boy had her concern rising. Even Chris himself was shielded with the exception of a profile view of his face. Piper was unable to hold in her gasp of surprise as she realised that in her shock over the revelation and Leo's injury she had not noticed the state her Whitelighter was in.

Resisting the urge to check him over - his distant stance indicating that was the last thing he wanted - she paced in front of him unsure how to proceeded. Running a hand through her hair at the feeling of uselessness coursing through her, Piper peered at the young boy with each of her far turns and noticed that he too was covered in extensive injuries.

"Why can't you heal him?" Piper had no doubt that if it was possible Chris would have healed his son without a second thought. For some unknown reason the fact that Chris had a son and presumably a daughter was rather easy for Piper to accept, the part she struggled with was the fact that she had no idea about any of it. She knew he took care of Nathan and Noah here but she had no idea that he had biological children as well.

Her mind raced as she questioned how Chris could have left them if the future was as bad as he said. The answer sparked to life inside her and she wasn't sure whether she felt betrayed by his actions or amazed that he had been able to keep it from them so well. "That's Nathan isn't it… and I'm assuming she was Noah." Her words were soft as she knew if it was the case it would hurt him, sure enough seeing the pain flash through his eyes was answer enough.

Deciding to skip over Piper's last sentence he figured he might as well answer her earlier question especially if her guilt or possible sympathy meant that he could spend his last moments with his family in peaceful silence.

"Unlike you and Leo, who were sent here physically. We're…" he paused trying to figure out how to phrase his sentence in a way Piper could follow. Drawing a blank he decided to just go with the truth and hope she understood. "We're just our souls. The purest form of a person, the last thing to go when their existence is erased. That's why you could still hear Wyatt when the cleaners had him, he would have been here, unable to see you, hear you or touch you but regardless of all that you still knew he was here. That's the power of the bond between a parent and a child."

Piper nodded trying to understand to the best of her ability what he was saying. Bile rose in her throat as that now that his back was facing her, she was able to notice other injuries that were otherwise hidden such as the intersecting 'W' and 'H' across the back of Chris' neck and upper back. Wiping her eyes she pushed aside her disbelief needing to know the truth. Needing to face what it was that her son had become. "Did Wyatt do that?"

Her heart broke as she saw Chris tenderly reach for Nathan's broken arm, she wasn't an idiot and she knew that for Chris to respond the way he had it meant that Wyatt had not only damaged Chris' soul but he'd also gravely hurt a little boy most probably just for who his father was.

Not sure she could handle Chris openly admitting to the origins Nathan's injuries, Piper quickly clarified her question before she learnt more than she was able to cope with. "On your neck, I mean."

Just as before Chris' eyes darted down before he began speaking. She no longer needed his confirmation not that she really did in the first place. Piper guessed that in a way her question had simply to see how Chris would respond, would he take the moment to remind them that her baby would grow up to be 'The Source of all Evil' or would he lie.

Chris sensed Piper's hesitation but knew his mother had not raised him as a liar especially when it came to facing the mistakes within ones own family. "Yes and No." Chris held Parker closer to him as he fought the overwhelming memories refusing to let them take him back to a dark place. "He wasn't Wyatt anymore by that stage, the darkness had been spreading in him for too long. It was cancerous and by that point it overruled any lessons you had taught him about good and evil."

Swallowing her self-pity, Piper focused on Chris hoping to get more information out of him since he seemed uncharacteristically compliant. Guilt shot through her as she realised part of the reason was probably the fact that he had just lost his daughter and was about to lose his son, along Belle who she realised he was very close to and whom he'd already lost once, only to lose himself at the end of it. Opening her mouth to apologise for prying she was silenced by the cold voice that cut through the room.

"That's impossible. No one has the power to scar a soul, souls are pure. You probably lost your control and did that yourself." Leo didn't know why the words kept leaving his mouth, while yes he was definitely thinking those thoughts he had no need to vocalize them, in fact he was even truly sure why he was thinking them in the first place. Despite all that the look on Piper and Chris' faces told him that for some reason his confusion was remaining internalized and unwilling to be properly shown. "Even _if_ Wyatt did in fact do that you probably deserved it."

Silence echoed through the room as Leo finally got a handle on his mouth. Chris seemed to be retreating into himself, those words striking a nerve that ran too deep, the words and tone spoken exactly the way they had been in speech his father had given him the first time he had been punished by Wyatt.

Belle stepped forward standing in front of her cousin, her fingers itching to connect with Leo's face but unwilling to leave them to see Chris shut down. She could see the walls building up around him, see the air rippling as the small amount of power the three of them had was being used up to create a shield between themselves and the other two.

Piper's hand stung as she pulled it back, only to glance down at a shocked Leo, her slap ringing through the air. Yet as Piper looked back she realised it was too late the damage had already been done and any hope she had of getting answers out of Chris was now ruined.

"It is possible. The _torture _just has to be done by a being with a lot of power who is able to continue for a long time." Belle's voice was strained as she tried to keep control of her emotions. The toll was hitting her though and she could feel her body weakening further.

Grasping onto Chris' hand she looked at him needing him to come back to the present. "Something's wrong. I'm fading too fast." Feeling the weight in his arms disappear Chris wished the end would hurry. It was already killing him to have lost Peyton and Parker but he needed to stay calm for Belle. The invisible shield they'd created rippled slightly as it rapidly retracted.

"You need to calm down." Kneeling in front of her he placed his hands on her cheeks knowing she was more scared than it appeared. "It's going to be okay Belle, it's not going to hurt, it will be just like falling asleep." His eyes glistened with tears as he explained to her what was going to happen. Unlike usual souls who simply had to accept their death in order to move on, ceasing to exist didn't give you that opportunity though he figured it was probably easier to do if you were able to quieten some of your fears.

She curled into him, shaking slightly as she finally let her brave façade down. "I don't want to leave you." Belle placed her hand on his arm, needing to be with the person that she now had definitive proof that she owed her life to.

Piper flinched as she heard the silent 'with them' tacked onto the end of that sentence. She knew she hadn't been the most accommodating to the young man especially given what he was saying about her baby but she hadn't realized her behaviour had gotten so out of control that Chris' loved ones were worried about his safety in her presence a small part of her wondered if they were concerned about more than just his physical safety perhaps she was also responsible for some of his more colder emotional moments.

Chris smoothed her hair down knowing there was no way to ease her worries. "It'll only be for a while, you won't even notice the time passing. I promise it will be just like we had this conversation and then you're back in the real world. You won't feel a thing." Chris desperately hoped he wasn't lying to her as he pressed his lips to her forehead, noticing her swaying slightly. He hugged her tightly, feeling the thrumming in his head finally quiet for the first time in years. His hands brushed his shoulders as Belle disappeared in his arms, the tear that had dropped from her eyes vanishing before it even hit the floor.

Piper watched as Chris crumpled to the floor, wrapping his arms around himself in what appeared to be an attempt to hold himself together. Moving closer to him, she ignored the vibes he sent off warning her to stay away. Placing her hand gently on his shoulders she was shocked to see the tear-filled vulnerability in his eyes, showing just how young he actually was.

Chris looked away from Piper not wanting her to see him like this, not wanting to see her looking so much like his mother. Not looking like she wanted to care for him because if he did he'd tell her everything and he couldn't do that. The one good thing about the ghostly plane was how easy it was to hear the slightest abnormality and as the hairs on the back of his neck prickled Chris knew he didn't have time to question in. So he acted purely on instinct.

Leo bolted to his feet as Chris pulled Piper down, causing her to collide with the ground. Through his anger he noticed Chris now held a sizzling Darklighter arrow in his hand, the fact that he'd caught it before the glass finished shattering to the ground was not lost on him. Grabbing the crook of Piper's elbow Leo edged them both away from Chris as the Witchlighter chuckled darkly, twirling the arrow in his hand obviously not concerned about the poison at all. They followed Chris' movements as he pulled a small blade out of his shoe, his eyes somewhat unfocused as he looked at the end with a predatory smile on his face.

The door slammed against the wall as Chris glided onto the empty road outside the manor. He could feel the Darklighter's curiosity growing, apparently so in tune with the plane now that he was able to pick up slight cues like he had when he was younger. Chris allowed his eyes to close knowing it would draw the Darklighter out.

Within seconds he heard it whirring through the air originating to the left of him. Spinning rapidly Chris released his blade, sending it spiraling back, ignoring the arrow that ripped through his own shoulder as he heard the Darklighter grunt in pain. His eyes glittered with amusement as he realised all those hours that they'd spent practicing without magic while in the past were finally going to pay off. He knew he didn't have enough energy to physically attack the Darklighter but he could definitely torture him while avoiding any other attacks thrown his way.

Strolling in the direction, he wiped the sweat from his brow the poison obviously already making it's way through his body. Chris smirked as he realised that this was the perfect area, just him and his enemy. With no civilians to worry about and no family to be concerned about it was just kill or be killed.

Reaching the Darklighter as he struggled to pull the blade out of his chest, Chris simply laughed knowing that the barbs that released on contact with fresh blood would keep it firmly lodged in place and that the more he struggled the more poison the barbs would release. Taking three long strides forward Chris smiled as the bottom of his palm connected with the Darklighter's nose, the bones shattering under the force of the blow. While it wasn't exactly satisfying it did ease some of his tension as the creature before him howled.

Chris' eyes sparkled as he felt his rage overcome him, his hand clenching and unclenching checking for any damage before grabbing the arrow that was still slightly imbedded shoulder and pulling. Ignoring the flow of the poison through his veins was surprisingly easy given how accustomed he was to being shot by one. Though to anyone else the thought might have been depressing Chris just laughed amused by his odd predicament.

Pinning the Darklighter against the wall, he pushed the arrow into his skin knowing that the arrow's poison wouldn't affect him as he wouldn't have been sent through if he wasn't able to withstand having his own weapon drawn on him. However the arrow itself would still cause pain. Pain which would cause adrenaline to flood his body all of which would only make the barbs release another heavier dose of the poison.

The Darklighter froze as he saw Chris' eyes flashing dangerously. When he'd agreed to this it was supposed to be fun and easy. Trap the eldest Charmed One and the Elder in the ghostly plane. There he was allowed to torture them as much as he wanted as while he'd been given specific instructions to not kill them there had been no such rule about harming within an inch of their lives. However no one had ever mentioned the Charmed Ones resourceful and temperamental current Whitelighter being in attendance.

Twisting the blade 90 degrees, Chris smirked as he watched his opponent's mind spin as the poison quickly began to take affect. With each pain-filled gasp Chris felt like he was getting some redemption for his children and Belle but even then it wasn't enough. "Now, who sent you?"

It almost frightened him, how easy it was to slip back into the Chris from the future, the Leader of the Resistance, the only person to survive months of Wyatt's torture, the only person who was capable of having some of Wyatt's best fighters shaking in their boots at his name. However he knew it would ultimately be to his advantage.

The Darklighter chuckled at the boy's attempt at questioning. His mouth tightened as he ignored the pain flowing through him and looked his temporary captor in the eye. His brow crinkled in confusion as instead of backing off, the Whitelighter simply looked amused and leant against the wall opposite him.

Chris refused to let the Darklighter to see the problems the arrow's poison was slowly causing to build inside him. He could feel his stomach churning, the bile rising in his throat before he swallowed it again, while he might not be able to feel much pain as a soul trapped here it apparently did not stop his body from mimicking the affects that would have happened. Glancing around he tried to figure out how long it had been since he'd shot the Darklighter with the poison knowing his timing was of the utmost importance.

Quite honestly Chris had been rather impressed when he'd discovered Wyatt's new weapon in the future. The Resistance's main strength lay in the fact that it had been charmed in such a way that Wyatt would never be able to find it, of course that didn't mean that his brother or any of his lackeys were smart enough to figure out that all they had to do was rule out the places they could find and smack bang in the middle of that lay The Resistance, always just a breath away from being found.

It also helped that no one other than Chris himself knew the exact location. However Wyatt's new poison had been designed to initially torture the victim in which weaker opponents would spill what they knew and if they were able to hold out the poison then put them into a state of heightened suggestibility. Chris had been over the moon while Wyatt had not been pleased as they realised that a suggestible Chris was just as closed off and snarky as he usually was.

Figuring he had waited long enough, Chris moved forward in slow powerful strides. He'd learnt that making your opponent believe you had all the time in the world was beneficial, if the future was good for anything it was teaching one proper torture and interrogation techniques. "So once again and you _will_ tell me this time. _Who_ sent you?"

"An Elder. I don't know who he was, they all look the same." The Darklighter growled as the answer left his lips against his will. He didn't know what this Whitelighter had done but he didn't like it one bit.

Chris kept the shock off his face, as he let the revelation sink in. All his work for the past few months had possibly been for naught. "_Why_ did he send you."

"Because I'm the best." The Darklighter's glorified smirk slipped off his face as a tremor of anger ran through him, the movement making the blade and what he suspected were barbs to dig in deeper resulting in an even larger flash of pain.

Chris had to give the Darklighter credit at his ability to twist the suggestion in a way that would keep him alive should his boss ever find out that he'd let something slip. Too bad Chris had no intention of him making it out of this plane alive.

"You want to tell me what your purpose was here in this plane and what your intentions were regarding the Eldest Charmed One and the Elder you have trapped here." Satisfied that he'd covered all loop holes, Chris nodded as he raised an eyebrow indicating that the Darklighter should start answering his questions.

"A distraction. The Elder wanted the child. Once they were here I could do whatever I wanted with them as long as I didn't directly kill them. You, however, there was no such instruction regarding you."

If the Darklighter's cocky attitude was anything to go by Chris was certain there were no more Darklighters here for now. Frustration overcame him as he focused on the fact that since he'd returned to the past he'd been looking at the wrong half of the magical community for Wyatt's turning, sure on the odd occasion he'd thought it could be someone who was good but he'd tossed it aside as corrupted thinking from his time where there were no obviously distinct lines between good and evil simply lines only those who survived and those who didn't.

Spinning back to face the Darklighter Chris put a hand on each of the arrows turning them sharply. The right one turned clockwise while the left one moved counter-clockwise and he felt the Darklighter's muscles and tendons ripping under the agonizing points of the arrow.

As his blood raced through his body, the Darklighter started to realise his body was warming in ways it never had before, the more blood that ran through him the hotter it became. His blood felt like it was on fire, burning him from the inside out.

Chris spared a look at the Darklighter remembering how grateful he was when he'd been able to inoculate The Resistance from the final stage of the poison. Chris remembered laying in one of Wyatt's dungeons the barb firmly in place. As he took what he expected to be his final breath, he found that some unknown power unlocked and he was transported straight into his Uncle Cole's waiting arms in the Resistance infirmary the blade right alongside him.

Once he was back own his feet he jumped straight into work hoping that he'd subconsciously been paying more attention in eighth grade chemistry than he consciously remembered, while praying that somehow between that and his years excelling in potions making that he would be able to stop this new weapon before all his years of hard work protecting these people. Hoping that he'd be able to stop it before the lives of the friends and family he'd lost were in vain. It had taken six long, painful, disastrous months but he had done it.

Now though the poison was doing exactly what it was intended to do and he couldn't help but laugh at the thought that even if this Darklighter had somehow managed to survive until Wyatt's reign began he wouldn't survive the first culling. His ego would have prevented him from swearing allegiance to the son of a Charmed One and Wyatt would not have appreciated that. So even though his screams were currently quiet agonizing gasps Chris was providing him with the more merciful death.

Grabbing a final arrow from the quiver, Chris loaded it onto the bow. He watched the fear that developed in the Darklighter's eyes and couldn't help but see the poetic justice in this action. The arrogant bastard probably never thought he'd have his own weapon turned on him. Tossing the bow between his hands Chris contemplated the distant nature of this weapon. While the shooter had to line up and make the decision to release the arrow, they were very rarely standing in such close proximity to see the fear coupled with determination to live in their opponent's eyes.

Pressing the bow against the Darklighter's heart, Chris looked him straight in the eyes, holding his face in place that way Chris knew he'd be the last person he'd see before he'd die. Seeing the Darklighter's skin starting to melt off, he released the arrow, hearing it lock into the wall behind them.

Turning away from the now flaming corpse, he moved away knowing once they were transported back to the real world, the wind would take care of his ash. Unfortunately as he entered the manor again, the first thing Chris noticed was Leo, while still better than before, was sitting down, presumably to conserve energy if the red rimming his eyes were anything to go by.

Chris rubbed his palms, now that the anger and adrenaline had worn off he was much more aware of the damage the arrows had done to him. While there was a new gash in his right hand, his left hand luckily remained free of any new injuries.

Piper jumped up as she heard Chris return, she had not seen that much controlled rage in one person since Prue had died. Her heart ached at the memory of her sister but she focused on the fact that Chris seemed much calmer now. She noticed him rubbing his palm and as she moved closer she saw that it still seemed to be burning. Rubbing her neck guiltily as she noticed that it was the hand he had caught the arrow aimed for her in.

Without consciously noticing what she was doing, Piper held Chris' hand in her own, hoping somehow that would convey her gratitude. However it seemed to have the opposite affect. As she opened her mouth to apologize or thank him she wasn't sure which yet, she saw his eyes harden again and he pried his hand from her fingers. Moving to the other side of the room he began pacing, the look in his eyes telling her that he had a plan.

Her eyes travelled over his body, taking note of his numerous injuries and trying to understand how he was possibly still standing. Seeing him press his hand to his chest, only to look down at his hand and shake his head in confusion, Piper realised he'd been shot during the confrontation with the Darklighter. Yet unlike Leo who she knew was trying to be strong for her, she could tell he was actually not bothered by the injury making her wonder just how many times he must have felt the exact same pain for him to not even wince as he walked.

"You're sisters, have hopefully gotten the message about where you are. However if they haven't or it takes them a while to figure it out then your going to need to know how to survive in this realm Piper." he locked eyes with her, the intensity and command in his gaze shocking her.

Chris closed his eyes trying to remember exactly what she needed to know. "Once I'm gone, Leo won't have long until the healing wears off completely. If you're not found by then you will be on your own. You can't give up. Even if you want to."

Pausing again he focused on hiding his own feelings before continuing. "Wyatt needs him mother." Seeing her nod and taking in the way she straightened slightly he knew he'd successfully gotten her attention. "While it's generally good souls that stop here. Occasionally a Darklighter or Demon gets through and after a while the majority of the underworld will know you're trapped here and they'll come after you. So it won't be safe."

Running through the currently layout of San Francisco in his mind, he nodded finally satisfied with the plan. "Okay, if anything happens you head towards P3, there's an old church three blocks before it. The third and forth planks are loose, move through them and continue across the garden until you get to a set of cellar doors, go through them and the furthest wall there will be made out of stone bricks. The bricks are set up in rows and columns. On the fifth column, fourth row down the stone is loose, pull it out slowly until you hear a click then turn the brick above it once. That will open a room on the other side of the room, go through and stay there for as long as possible. Once you feel safe and refreshed, retrace you're journey back to the manor."

He waited for Piper to show any sign that she'd followed what he was saying before he started once more. "This part's important Piper… once the sisters open a portal you have twenty-four hours to make it through. So do not spend longer than a day in that room at a time or you might be trapped here indefinitely until the trips happen to coincide."

Chris looked at the woman who would became his mother and wished she knew just how scared he was. Just how hurt and broken he was. Knew how much he need his mother or his Aunt Paige, Aunt Prue or Uncle Cole right now. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he finally felt the weight of his loss and slid down the wall, staring blankly ahead wishing for the end to hurry up.

Piper was repeating his instructions over and over out loud hoping that would force them to stay into her brain. She was unbelievably terrified. She didn't want to lose Leo, she didn't want to be here any longer but she didn't have a choice. She was currently powerless something she had always prided herself on not being. Looking up she finally got tired of wondering and decided to risk it all to ask Chris _how_ he knew all this.

What had happened that he knew exactly what to do? Had he been told or read about this in the future? Would he have warned them if he did know or would he have kept it to himself? Would any of this gotten so out of hand if Leo hadn't thrown that potion at Chris, would any of this happened if Chris wasn't so secretive? All she had was questions and she knew the chances of Chris answering just one of them was slim to none.

Groaning in frustration she let her head fall into her hands not aware that her position was mimicking Chris' perfectly. Leo placed a hand gently on Piper's arm unable to handle seeing her filled with so much uncertainty. Staring at Chris he noticed once again that he was just a boy who had apparently just lost his two children. Leo wasn't sure what had come over him earlier, they were not his words that left his mouth and while he may have thought it once or twice in the past he knew that the grief Chris was expressing was pure. While he may not like or respect or trust Chris, he would never wish the pain of loosing a child - let alone two - on a person. He figured that's why it hurt so much whenever Chris said that Wyatt was evil, because it meant he'd failed and ultimately lost his son.

Piper got off the couch, placing Leo's hand down softly in his lap so that he understood it she wasn't too angry with him. She _was_ still in disbelief over what he said to Chris about hurting his children. Chris may be neurotic but she was certain he'd never hurt a child - she understood that was hypocritical but at the time she'd kicked Chris out she'd been hurt that she'd failed as a mother and it was easier to deny it and blame the messenger than to accept it. Since then she'd been able to admit she'd been wrong about Chris but that didn't mean that she knew how to apologize for it.

"Chris?" Piper waited until she got his attention, her heart beating loudly in her chest as she wondered whether it was worth risking the informal peace treaty they had just to satisfy her curiosity. "How do you know so much about this plane?"

Chris couldn't help it as his eyes flashed briefly to Leo and hoped that neither had noticed the movement. He couldn't contain his shiver as he thought back on what he'd had to endure while here the first time. Something in his mind told him to tell Piper, hoping that maybe she could prevent it from happening this time or at least prepare it a bitt more for him this time.

"I was sent here with a bunch of evil beings as punishment. If I made it out I was absolved if I died - well apparently that _was_ the fitting punishment." Leo smirked as he figured he was about to get proof that all along he was right about Chris, even Chris himself had just admitted he was there to be punished and only Elders or really powerful beings who found the right spell that had the ability to transport people physically to the ghostly realm.

Chris' tone made it seem as if he was simply recalling a story of something that happened to someone else but the slight trembling of his hands convinced Piper of his honesty. "It was a month before anyone figured out where I was and that was only because I'd taken to helping out at the hospital and helping people accept what had just happened to them. One day I was walking to the church and came across a young girl, she was about 10. Her mum's car had been t-boned by a drunk driver and she'd died on impact…"

Chris' words cut off as he remembered meeting Anna, she was so full of light and he remembers wishing for her to return back, wishing Death and Destiny would give her another chance at life. "I'm not to sure how I was able to do it but after she told me what happened to her and I'd told her what had happened to me as I placed my hand on her to help her up, a stream of green light covered her and she was presumably transported back with no injuries. A week later I just knew I had to return to the place I'd been sent - it was as if my mother was calling me back - sure enough I walked through that one spot and the world returned to colour."

Piper's mind was reeling as she tried to control her tears. Unfortunately every time they got Chris to open up about something from his past it was ridiculously depressing, she was beginning to wonder if he had any good memories at all. "Oh Chris, how old were you? What kind of demon has the power to do that without your parents having any clue? Have you killed him since you've been back to prevent it?" Piper knew that meddling with the past had some serious consequences but no child should ever have to go through that.

Chris smiled cynically at her as he shook his head knowing he shouldn't answer her questions but needing to anyway. "I was six, it wasn't a demon and no I haven't killed him. No matter how much I hate him I would never be able to kill my own father."

Piper wrapped her arms around him, unable to help herself. He'd been through so much in his life and since he'd shown up in the past they'd treated him like he wasn't any better than something you'd find on the bottom of your shoe. Noticing Chris was frozen in place, she released him, feeling her cheeks heat in embarrassment. "Sorry."

Chris moved to dismiss her apology before he felt lighter and his thoughts were somewhat scattered. Glancing down he realised it wouldn't be long now. Not wanting to see the face of the woman who looked so much like his mother but contained none of the memories he let his eyes close, the exhaustion that washed over him made it an easy choice to make.

Piper went to place her hand on Chris' shoulder, to shake him in an effort to keep him conscious but her hand passed right through him and hit the wall on the other side. The sound startled him enough that his eyes snapped open but she was disappointed to see they were still glazed over. "Take care Piper."

Chris closed his eyes again a small tear making it's way down his translucent cheek as he hoped that his parents wouldn't fail him. He knew his will power wasn't going to be enough and silently prayed that he'd get to see his children again.

Years apart Mel and Wyatt both grabbed their heads their mouths falling open in a silent scream as they heard their brother's final farewell in their minds, feeling a piece of their minds close off in a way they never had before.

Wyatt looked to the floor in front of him waiting for his baby sister's reappearance. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity but was probably only five minutes he magically locked his chambers and curled up against the far corner. Realising they had obviously found a way to keep Mel in the past at least for now he screamed as he scrambled to keep the memories of his infuriating little brother from fading. Unable to help himself he felt tears stream down his face as he was faced with the fact that for the first time ever he was truly alone, that his siblings needed him more than ever before and not only was he powerless to help but they'd probably want nothing to do with him even if he was able to.


	21. The Courtship of Wyatt's Father Part 5

_**A/N Sorry for the wait guys had some major writers block then when I finally got the creative juices flowing and was a few hundred words from the end I lost the whole document. Which was kind of depressing but I guess it has to happen to everyone once.**_

_**So without further ado…**_

Silence loomed over the attic as they watched Mel clutch her head as if she could bring Chris back through sheer force of thought alone. Prue stepped closer to her niece, trying to hold herself together and stay strong for everyone. She'd not only lost her charge, nephew and his kids but she'd lost her daughter _again_ and she didn't know what to do about it. Wrapping her arms around Mel, she looked to Cole hoping he had some idea of what to do. Piper, Paige and Phoebe of the future had not returned after the first flicker and neither had Bianca but given that they themselves hadn't been whisked off to other places since Chris' disappearance, Prue had an aching suspicion that they had given up their ability to come back in an effort to keep the rest of them in 2004 and giving them a chance fix this.

Cole stepped forward, picking up a marker and moving to the wall. He knew Piper would not be happy but that was the least of his cares at the moment. In big black letters to remind them of their goal, Cole wrote 'SAVE CHRIS. BRING PIPER AND LEO BACK FROM THE GHOSTLY PLANE.' To the best of his ability Cole figured that the reason they still had some memories of Chris had to do with the fact that there was still the chance that Chris would be conceived and it was only a matter of bringing his mother back to this plane.

"Okay, we need to get Paige and Phoebe from magic school and see if they found a way of opening the portal, it's been an hour or so since we gave them the ghostly plane to focus on so hopefully they have something. Mel, I need you to take care of them, make sure they haven't said anything to anyone - we don't know who we can trust. Treat this exactly like you would in the future." Cole's words were steady and strong and had the intended affect of flipping the switch in Mel and Prue as they pulled themselves together. Their time in 2004 had made them weaker and if they wanted to get Chris back they needed to act like they were in the future. The versions of themselves who never stopped fighting even when they'd lost everything.

Victor shuffled towards his granddaughter unsure of how to help her when she jumped up at Cole's words, her expressive green eyes becoming cold and focused. "Vivo" Victor froze in place at her voice, it was as cold and distant as her eyes were, even though the word itself gave rise to words such as live and survive it was as if her life had already been sucked from her.

Sure he'd seen Chris be cold and distant, especially in some of the earlier months of his journey to save his brother but it had never been to this extent. He was filled with a new found sense of determination, Victor_ needed_ to help fix this as best as he could because he couldn't deal with his grandchildren turning into these people. They needed to live, and that meant more than just being alive in the physical sense.

Within seconds Mel disappeared her usual trail of orbs no where to be seen. Natalie startled slightly as she realised that part of them reverting back to their attitude from the future included the use of their powers, she'd thought they'd been going incognito before had but this was like a slap in the face to their old ways, they moved silently and without warning. The few times she had gotten Chris to talk about the future she'd gathered that it was not a nice place at all but seeing them like this made her realise that what Chris had told her barely scraped the surface, that it was most likely a fairytale version of what the world was really like.

Prue stepped forward alining herself at Cole's side as she focused solely on her mission. Her eyes darted around the room taking herself back to when Piper and Leo had disappeared. Sure, she hadn't been all that focused on them but her subconscious had caught everything, now it was just a matter of accessing it. Silencing all her thoughts, she watched as the scene once again unfolded before her. Stalking over to where Piper and Leo had once lay she felt the air there, sensing it's signature. While she wasn't too certain what she was feeling she knew that she had felt the same magical signature when Chris had disappeared to the ghostly plane as well. After that Prue had insisted Chris make them visible to the family as they couldn't go through something like that again and be unable to help.

At the time Chris had been too scared to confirm anything and as he grew up it was as if he had simply pushed the memory back but Prue was almost one hundred percent sure that Leo had been the one behind his disappearance - this little episode in 2004 only reinforcing her belief.

A loud crash startled Cole from his thoughts and he looked over to see Prue throwing various objects at the wall, lost in anger and pain. He understood her frustration, as while it was true that neither of them were able to remember how Piper had gotten Chris out the first time, if they had their full power they would have been able to improvise and probably would have retrieved them all by now. However whatever magic was being used to keep them here was only so strong and without Chris their magic was leaving them quickly. He knew Victor and Jake were once again powerless and Natalie simply had her normal powers. So without the extra boost their only hope lay in the combined powers of Mel, Phoebe and Paige, who didn't seem like they were getting too far.

Seeing Prue about to throw an antique lamp at the wall, he quickly pried it out of her hands and wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. Feeling her pain, he breathed in deeply knowing he needed to remain clear headed, resting his cheek on the crown of her head, he waited until she stopped fighting him. "I know you're scared but we'll get them back. I promise." Pressing down softly on her side he watched as the slight pain brought her back to reality and her crazed eyes refocused.

Moving over to the map, Natalie tried to ignore Cole and Prue, needing to do something before the helplessness killed her. Picking up the scrying crystal, she decided it was important to make sure Piper and Leo were still in the manor. Her head rested on the table, the blonde ends tickling her arm as she watched the crystal spin in the air knowing it would take some time to lock onto the ghostly plane.

:: :: :: :: ::

Phoebe glanced up as she felt someone different beside her. Jumping back in alarm she shook her head as she realised it was just Isabelle. Her heart raced as she wondered why she hadn't heard the girl come in. Phoebe shivered wearily as she was once again reminded that she was never able to get a read off the girl. She wasn't sure what it was about Chris and Isabelle - maybe something in their family's magic - but it frustrated her to no end, especially since she had become reliant on using her empath skills as a warning system to determine friend or foe. Pushing her negative thoughts aside she tried to get a read off her body and eyes but found that as closed off as her emotions.

Paige strode forward, her eyes pleading as she latched onto Isabelle's arms. The girl's moves were lightening fast and somewhat robotic as her head spun to glare at the hand placed on her arm before following and meeting Paige's eyes.

Mel wasn't sure what Paige was expecting to find in her eyes but it seemed to cause Paige a great deal of pain. Somewhere in her mind, Mel could hear a voice telling her to comfort Paige, to provide her aunt with some sort of reassurance but her Resistance mindset said she did not have time for that, that the Paige of 2004 would just have to suck it up. Prying Paige's hand off her, she looked at them briefly before speaking trying desperately to keep the frustration and annoyance at their lack of progress out of her voice.

"Have you spoken to anyone in the time you've been here?" Phoebe's brow furrowed as she tried to understand why Isabelle was asking her that. Nevertheless she shook her head clearing her throat in an attempt to start answering the determined brunette but Paige beat her to it.

"Gideon was here earlier, he kept asking if we needed anything." Paige's words were monotonous as her mind raced. She'd felt something earlier that told her Chris was gone but she figured she was being idiotic. Now that she'd seen Isabelle, her fears had been confirmed and she knew that she had been right. Chris was lost to them unless they could get a hopefully pregnant Piper and Leo back. "I think he finally got the hint that we weren't going to tell him anything and left." Paige wasn't too sure why she'd refused to tell Gideon anything and made Phoebe swear not to as well but she just did not trust the guy. He sent all her warning systems off, she figured it was perhaps the fact that after virtually no contact with the Elders, this particular one was seeking them out weekly and trying to worm his way into their lives.

Mel's ears perked up as she realised that their family's distrust for Gideon extended to those in 2004 as well. Filing that information away for later, she turned to Phoebe and Paige, noticing the books strewn across the couch, opened at various points. "Do you have anything?" Mel sighed as Phoebe shook her head in frustration, she had a feeling it was going to be a long night but that didn't mean she could lighten the workload somewhat. Projecting half of the remaining books into the attic, she hoped that with everyone working on this they could get Piper and Leo out of there by morning.

Curling onto the corner of the couch, Mel quietly muttered a spell making the room soundproof. She couldn't have anyone knowing what was going on. Extending her shield around Phoebe and Paige, she let her head rest on her hand as she opened the first thick tome, prepared to lose herself in the words. Her fingers danced across the page as she scanned the information, a small smile showing on her face as she relaxed for the first time since Chris had been attacked by Leo. This was familiar. This was what she was good at. She'd run the research department in the Resistance and it had been a good two years since she'd had a real chance to let her talent show and she wasn't going to let them fail her.

:: :: :: :: ::

Cole watched as Natalie's head finally fell onto Jake's shoulder, her eyes closing for good. Jake had succumbed to sleep an hour ago and while he normally would have woken the pair, insisting they kept working, he reminded himself that they were not used to the limited sleep of the future. He knew that unlike Prue, Mel and himself and even the sisters to an extent they needed their sleep otherwise they could have scanned over the information they desperately and truly needed and tossed it aside due to lack of processing.

Prue couldn't help but be filled with pride as she watched her father across the room. She knew the man liked going to bed at ten and it was currently three in the morning and he had yet to even yawn. For years she'd wracked her brain trying to understand what it was that had drawn her mother to him and she was finally saw it. Victor had the Halliwell spirit in him. The spirit that allowed you to have what seemed like infinite stores of energy when one of your own was in trouble.

Looking back to the book in her hand, she sighed in annoyance as she reached the last page. Closing it, she placed it on the ever growing 'no' pile, hoping they'd figure this out soon. Grabbing one of the few books still remaining unread, she took a moment to appreciate the gold embroidering on the outside. Repositioning herself against Cole she prepared herself for the read unable to help herself from glancing once more at the area she had marked off as the portal. It was so frustrating that they were so close yet she was still unable to do anything. Sighing in thanks as she felt Cole's hand grip her own tightly for a minute, she flipped the book open, determination coursing through her once again.

:: :: :: :: ::

Wyatt's forces were considerably lighter than they had been twenty four hours ago. After pulling himself off the floor, refusing to let this get to him he called in some of his lower level demons for target practice. When he was still going two hours later and some of his higher ups had the gall to suggest he stop, well it didn't end well for them either. Sealing off a section of the dungeons that now smelt of death, he turned to his newest right hand and told her to keep things under control while he went and freshened up.

A part of him was screaming that he had to kill every demon and warlock under him, that they deserved it as they were unable to do anything to help him while his little brother faded from existence. Sure with the way he was feeling right now he would probably kill the brat as soon as he saw him but at least he got to have that option. Throwing another chair at the wall, he smiled as the chair splintered, spraying the room with wooden pieces.

Flaming into his chambers he locked glanced at his mirror noticing how the scowl on his didn't hide the pain and weariness in his eyes. Moving over to the book he flipped it open searching for something to solve his problems, the Halliwells and Warrens weren't exactly an easy family to deal with so there had to be something for him. Finally locating a spell which looked like it had been quickly scratched into the book, he disregarded the half-hidden warning. Closing his eyes, he recited the spell, the words slipping through his lips with great ease despite the fact that he couldn't remember the last time he actually used his basic spell casting powers.

For a minute it felt as if his body was being pulled in two and he was unable to hold in his gasp as he realised that was what happened. He couldn't figure out why when he turned to the mirror he appeared to be the 'good' Wyatt but he wasn't about to question it as the last thing he wanted to do was worry about right now ruling an army. With an eerily evil smirk and a roll of his eyes, his counterpart flamed out of the room. Finally able to feel his exhaustion, Wyatt shuffled over to his bed, changing the black and red sheets to a light blue with a wave of his hand. Crawling under the blanket he immediately felt sleep claim him, his mind filled with memories of when he was younger as his worry about Chris and Mel consumed him.

:: :: :: :: ::

Piper looked over at Leo and sighed as she heard his breathing patterns change again. Pulling her clothes back on she moved closer to her husband - there was no way she was going to let him die thinking they weren't together. Her frown deepened as she rested her hand on his head feeling him burn up again. She'd managed to get him changed back into his boxers before he'd collapsed against her once again unable to move.

She could admit that maybe that much physical exertion while he was fighting the poison of the darklighter arrow wasn't the best idea but all she knew was that she loved Leo and he loved her and that if he wouldn't be with her for much longer she didn't want to go out fighting. So she'd pushed all her feelings regarding what he'd said to Chris and the fact that she hadn't seen Leo in what felt like forever to the side and instead focused on the fact that she loved him and needed to be with him one last time.

Now though her heart was clenching with guilt and fear that her selfishness had caused Leo's rapid decline. Yes, Chris_ had_ warned her that this was going to happen but she thought they'd have more time. Resting her head on his she tried to wipe some of the sweat off his brow, brushing his hair back softly as she hummed trying to calm him. Piper's lips tugged into a soft smile as she watched him relax slightly at her actions. With him here like this she was flooded with memories of them, reminded of why she fell for Leo in the first place and how much it hurt to watch him die last time and just like last time she had to face her feelings regarding Leo and the fact that she still loved him.

So she decided, if Leo made it out of this she was going to ask for him to leave the Elders for good. It was fine when he was a whitelighter, he wasn't this arrogant, insecure ass who was too much like Gideon for her to stand and instead he was going to be a dad and a husband again. He was going to be the Leo she fell in love with again.

They might of had their problems but every relationship did. At first she'd convinced herself that it was as if Leo was away at war, his first wife had survived the experience so why couldn't she but slowly she began to realise that Leo was an Elder and they were the ones who time and time again sent her and her sisters into battle for them while they sat on their asses and did nothing to help. That was not the man she fell in love with, that was not the man she married.

Stepping back from Leo, Piper ran a hand through her hair. She was worried about Wyatt. Perhaps losing Leo was the thing that turned Wyatt evil but if that was the case then surely Chris would have known how to stop it.

_Chris_. That was another problem, yes she was wracked with guilt but the boy still hadn't told her why he was ceasing to exist. How was she supposed to help him if she didn't know what to do. Her only hope was that when she returned to the right plane of existence, he would too or that someone there knows what to do and they hadn't run out of time.

Suddenly it seemed to occur to Piper that despite the fact that she was filled with her usual annoyance at the Whitelighter it was significantly subdued and overshadowed by her worry for him. Resting her hand on her stomach, her eyebrows knotted as she thought over her revelation about Chris being a father.

It definitely explained some of the ways both he and the kids had acted. She remembered that time with the headless horseman, Chris had barely spared a second to check that she and her sisters were okay but he had looked the kids over until he was certain they were okay. It explained why Nathan and Noah often spoke to her and her sisters as if they were dirt on the bottom of their shoes and now that she thought about it, that was generally after they'd been particularly rude to Chris.

Her heart beat painfully in her chest, a feeling of heartbreak washing over her as she recalled how they had acted after Bianca failed to return to the past. From what Piper had seen of Nathan's true form he looked very much like Chris but now that she knew what she was looking for Piper was able to pick up traces of the woman she had seen as well. She felt tears prick at her eyes as she recalled Noah saying that 'the evil monster had killed Bianca', it was nearly impossible to pretend that Noah was talking about someone else. With what she had seen of Chris and Nathan's souls, she had no doubt this new Wyatt wouldn't hesitate to kill Bianca especially given that she was a demon to start with.

Resting against Leo, Piper cradled her head in her hands and let her memories flow. Chris had never explained who had hired Bianca to take him back to the future but now that Chris had let a few things slip it was obvious the only one with the power to was Wyatt. The only thing that didn't make sense was the incentive behind it. Thinking back on when Chris had returned through the portal she was sucked into her own mind.

With that came the memories of Nathan's nightmare. He'd been pleading with someone and had been cut off before he said anything more than 'Wy' at the time she assumed he was simply questioning 'why' but now she realised he had basically just answered all her questions about whether Wyatt had been capable of the things she'd seen. It seemed Wyatt didn't just torture individuals he made them watch as he tortured the ones he loved irrespective of their age. Moving closer to the side of the room, she threw up, disgusted at the images that had flooded her mind. Moving back to Leo she pulled him to where they had initially arrived before closing her eyes and resting against his chest, her thoughts running amuck as she desperately tried to ignore her discovery. Her breathing hitched as she listened to Leo's troubled breathing desperately hoping her sister's would come through for them soon. Leo was dying yet all she could think about was Chris.

:: :: :: :: ::

Wyatt shuffled in his bed, nightmare-like memories played out under his eyelids. He could swear he heard his mother's pain-filled cries as she realised what he had become. He saw Gideon, his crazed eyes filled with anger and the smallest bit of sorrow as he raised his hand to deliver a fatal blow. The lightening crackling across his fingertips before Leo orbed in front of him. Suddenly the scene shifted and Wyatt grew confused, he was sure this hadn't happened in his current life especially when he saw Chris at the age he was now, standing in front of him, trying to protect him from something as his emerald eyes darted around the room before he reached down to take him - baby Wyatt - somewhere safe.

Before Chris got close he was suddenly thrown across the room, crashing into a bunch of boxes and shattering the wooden table next to them. Gideon appeared before them, looking at Chris like he was some demon getting in the way. He watched as Gideon made the same mistake most do and underestimated his little brother. Turning back to him as a he made a move towards baby Wyatt, bent down but just like Chris before him but as his hands grew closer he went flying across the room as Chris chuckled darkly. Despite his outward confidence Wyatt saw the fear in Chris' eyes and felt his stomach churn as both the him now and the 'memory' him were unnerved by that fear. Chris' eyes widened at something Wyatt couldn't see and then Gideon disappeared completely.

Chris bolted forward his eyes wide as he tried to reach his brother. Wyatt screamed as Gideon reappeared and was finally able to see the athame in his hand. The athame dug into Chris' stomach as Gideon moved him to the ground. Wyatt sighed in relief as Gideon pulled the knife straight out, since he hadn't twisted it Chris could survive from this and it didn't look like he had hit any major organs either. Glancing around the room he watched as his familiar blue bubble rose up on either side of them.

Where was everyone? Mum and Leo, Aunt Paige and Aunt Phoebe? Hell, Mel should have been able to feel this? Wyatt continued to scream in his head trying to get to his brother. He was finally able to understand why Chris had nearly broken when Wyatt had made him watch as he tortured his kids. It made you feel unbelievably hopeless to be forced to just watch as a loved one dies when you know you would be able to help them.

He watched as Gideon's evil face crowded his view, not in the least bit put off by Chris' agonized screams. He didn't know why Chris' powers weren't working but he figured it had something to do with the athame, the same athame that was currently breaking down his shield. Wyatt tried to access his other powers but found them trapped out of his reach due to his fear. The world dissolved around him as he was orbed from the room, the last thing he saw was Chris trying - and failing - to stand up. It was then Wyatt realised his brother was right.

Wyatt shot up in his bed with a start, all hope of sleep lost. He _was _turned. Turned by a person he was supposed to be able to trust. Wyatt knew his newfound clarity would leave the moment he joined back with his counterpart but if he could convince the other Wyatt to run things - which shouldn't be a problem given that he probably thinks we've been too nice so far - then he had a chance of helping Chris and making sure none of this ever happened.

He didn't know why Mel or none of the others had come to Chris' rescue but he was going to make sure he didn't let his baby brother down again. As he'd already done for so long. The one good thing that came out of the premonition was the knowledge that his family would find a way to bring Chris back to existence. So with that settled Wyatt waved his hand around the room, conjuring a more comfortable desk and chair and set to work. He had no time to waste.

:: :: :: :: ::

"I've got it!" Paige and Mel's heads snapped to look at Phoebe who was staring at the book in her hands like she'd just won the lottery. Mel sighed in relief at her earlier soundproofing as she realised Phoebe screaming 'I've got it' at six in the morning would have caused a stir or at least spark some people's curiosity. Curiosity they weren't exactly equipped to deal with at the moment.

Paige threw her book down and bolted towards her sister and grabbing her arm along with Isabelle's. Within seconds they were orbing straight out of magic school and into the attic.

Prue looked up as they heard the sound of orbs, pulling the hood over her face she watched as Cole did the same. Victor glanced over at Natalie and Jake watching as they straightened slightly to the sound, not sure if the person coming was friend or foe. It was amazing as already one of the many things they'd learnt from the others is you can't judge someone by their entrance.

Mel pulled away from Paige as soon as they landed in the attic. Moving over to Prue and Cole, seeking refuge with them. Prue brushed her hand against Mel's hair noticing the girl was growing more agitated now that they were so close to- she growled in frustration as her train of thought tapered off, she was supposed to be stronger than this, she was not supposed to be forgetting this information. Glancing around the room she sighed as she saw Cole's message, reminding her once again of what she had to fight to do. "Don't worry, not long now."

Phoebe rushed over to the cabinet, grabbing various ingredients for the potion. Shoving the book into Paige's hands, she waited for the ingredients to come to a boil. "Hurry Paige, we don't have much time." Dashing past her sister again, she desperately prayed for Leo to hold on for a few more moments. Grabbing the now flaming liquid. Phoebe grabbed her sister's hand hoping that this spell would work with just the two of them.

Rising up from her place on the floor, Mel grasped Prue's hand, knowing she needed to do this but not ready to do it on her own just yet. The two silently crept in behind Phoebe and Paige and waited for the chanting to start, preparing to silently join in herself.

Victor was barely able to contain his sigh of relief as he realised they finally had a chance of bringing his family back. He knew just as well as the rest of them that Chris was fundamentally the glue of their little 'save the future' group, sure the others would try but Chris was born to be a leader. Moving forward ever so slightly, he felt Natalie grab onto his hand and realised she was holding her breath right along with him. Still not quite used to magic, he felt his eyes widen as the temperature in the room dropped to near freezing as blue flames erupted forming an oval in the air causing the area in between to ripple before revealing a black and white picture of the attic with Piper and Leo positioned slightly of center.

The temperature dropped further as the flames climbed higher before disappearing completely leaving a sleeping Piper and pale Leo in it's wake. Paige waited for Leo to take a breath but it seemed a lot cause, something which made her desperately hope Piper remained asleep. Her eyes widened as she watched some of the perspiration disappear and colour started to reform in Leo's cheeks though he still had yet to breathe. It was as if he was being healed without anyone actually being present. Desperately glancing back to where the portal was she waited with baited breath for Chris to appear as well and felt her heart ache when a minute passed and Leo was gaining consciousness but Chris still hadn't appeared.

Piper's eyes fluttered open as she felt Leo move beneath her, glancing down at him, she felt happiness consume her as she realised he was slowly healing again and it was all thanks to Chris. Noticing everything was back to colour, Piper knew she needed to find him, needed to speak to him. Moving her head around the room, she looked frantically for the boy who'd watched his family disappear and _still _told her how to survive, even as his own clocked ticked down to zero. Clearing her throat she tried to speak around the sudden bubble that formed in her throat as an overwhelming anxiety overcame her.

"Where's Chris?"

"Where's Wyatt?" Both sentences were stated at the same time and Leo looked at Piper as if she was insane. Why would she possibly ask about Chris before her own son. As he glanced at Phoebe and Paige he smugly noted that her query had stumped the others just as much.

Victor stepped forward slightly, knowing it was best to answer Leo's question that way he'd shut up and Victor could focus on finding out where Chris was. "Wyatt's at my place with Penny."

"Dad?" Paige was glad her voice had melded in with her sisters' but she still looked down as she felt her cheeks burn as she realised what she'd called Victor. She wasn't exactly sure when she'd started thinking of him that way but he'd been around more recently and she'd just found herself venting to him every now and then, connecting with him in a way she had with adoptive father prior to her rebellious phase where she turned away from them. It was nice to feel that bond again.

A smile broke on Victor's face as he watched Paige blush. He knew she still had regrets about how she'd left things with her adoptive parents and since Sam was busy pulling 'a Victor' too scared to face how he'd fit into her life to actually try, she'd come to him with a few of her problem but he never realised she had felt the bond form too.

A small part of him was concerned at the fact that he and the others had been in the attic since they'd returned from Magic School and his daughters had yet to notice but he figured they were probably just off their game. Hearing Phoebe squeal happily he shook himself from his thoughts before he found her wrapped around his waist, showing that inside she was still just a little girl seeking her father's approval. Victor could barely contain his laugh when he knew Prue was rolling her eyes at Phoebe's actions and for the first time ever he realised he actually had a relationship with all his daughters.

Cole seeing that they were all distracted by Victor walked closer to Prue and Mel, guiding them quickly out of the attic as Nat and Jake followed, all aware that if Chris was going to return to the attic, he would have already been there. Slipping his hand into Prue's he couldn't help but stare in amazement as the small group took of running towards the conservatory, instinctually knowing they'd find Chris there. His heart beat rapidly in his chest as they moved closer not sure he could handle it if something went wrong.

Feeling a weight on his body that wasn't there before, Chris pulled his head up and nearly shouted in joy as he wrapped his arms around Peyton, Parker and Belle. He couldn't quite believe they were all here, sure he'd tried and failed to put on a brave face but he just couldn't believe they'd actually made it, especially since it was the one situation in which he'd had completely no control over the outcome. His nose crinkled in discomfort as he finally processed what had to have happened for them to have reappeared and well if he didn't have cause to go to a shrink before, he'd be more than ready now. Honestly he was convinced that anyone in the psychiatric profession would have a field day with him.

Hearing what sounded like a horde of elephants coming down the stairs, Chris knew he didn't have enough time to get them into fighting position so simply used his shield to protect them. Having faith in his magic being restored, he focused his attention once again on the three in his arms noticing the joy and relief in their eyes. Looking them over, Chris sighed in joyous relief that the scars were gone - logically he knew that wasn't the case but as they said _ignorance is bliss_ and without the visual reminder it was a lot easier to forget the true damage they all had.

Parker's hand was still wrapped tightly around his little sister's, not ready to let her go just yet. She may be a brat sometimes and annoy him to no end but she was his brat and watching her fade, being utterly powerless was something he never wanted to feel again. He finally understood why his dad always seemed so understanding whenever he explained why Wyatt had initially sought out darker, stronger magic to protect his family.

However Parker knew something it seemed Wyatt had forgotten. Love - as cliché as it is - is the strongest force of magic. It healed fatal wounds, it surpassed space and time, allowing you to sense someone you otherwise believed lost, it gave you the power to travel through time and reconnect with those you've lost, whereas hate just gave you the power to kill. He _finally_ understood what everyone murmured under their breaths at the Resistance about the 'damn Halliwell's with their inability to give up', as he knew the rest of the family understood about love too and that the most powerful magic came when one was able to embrace their feelings of love as opposed to building a fortress - both emotional and physical - to try and prevent loosing the love you have left.

Mel slipped ahead of the others, moving her arms out wide to halt them in their tracks and was grateful when they complied. While she would like nothing more than to run and embrace her brother, she knew something wasn't quite right. Turning the corner slowly she spotted Chris against the wall, carrying on a quiet conversation with Belle, while Parker and Peyton appeared to be silently processing what had happened. "Chris…"

A smile broke out on Chris' face as he heard his sister's voice. He'd been so worried about her, not worried about her not being strong enough to take care of what needed to happen as he knew just how strong she was even if she didn't. No, he was more concerned that by screwing up his conception, he'd somehow put hers in danger too but it appeared everything was still on track. Dropping the shield, he watched as they all took hesitant steps forward until Belle squirmed out of his arms and flung herself at her parents.

Her silky black hair flew out behind her as her parents snatched her easily from the air, an arm from each of them wrapping securely around her middle as she buried further into them. "I'm so sorry…" Belle didn't know how to explain the way she was feeling, she was acutely aware of how they would of felt losing her for a second time but she literarily owed her life to Chris and she couldn't let him go through loosing Parker and Peyton alone, and while her parents could have sympathized only Chris could truly help her with what she was going through.

"It's okay, sweetie." Cole cut his daughter off, he and Prue were well aware of the bond between Chris and her. The bond that made them worry about two kids instead of one. The bond that meant Chris and Isabelle would do anything to keep the other one safe even if it meant they both died. Wrapping his hand around Prue's waist, Cole watched as she looked over every member of their family - even the ones that hadn't been sent to the ghostly plane - as if trying to reassure herself that they had all made it.

Mel's frame was stiff as Chris enveloped her in a hug, he knew it was a defence mechanism but also knew she needed to feel. Resting his hand on her shoulder, he watched as her breath finally left her and she folded into the comfort he was offering, her tears soaking into his shirt, holding her in place he let her cry it out before accepted the slap to the back of the head at his idiocy.

His ears perked as he heard the telltale sound of Piper's shoes, his observation reinforced as they heard Phoebe desperately running after Piper asking her where she was going. Without giving it a second thought, Chris waved his hands sending everyone except Mel, Parker, Peyton and himself to Natalie's knowing Prue could keep Belle there but there was no way they'd be able to prevent his kids and Mel from orbing back. Moving back from Mel he rested Parker and Peyton on each hip, before coming to stand beside sister knowing he needed the reassurance of the other's presence as much as she did.

Piper raced around the corner, not even slowing as she approached the group. Her arms immediately wrapping around them all. Stepping back she looked down at her feet trying to collect her emotions, she wasn't sure why she had done that exactly other than the image of a vulnerable and broken Chris was seared into her brain and she just figured he needed a hug. "Thank you, Chris." Her words were soft and honest as she looked them all over relieved that the scars were no longer a visible reminder of what her baby had grown up to do.

Shuffling uneasily Chris felt Mel's hand at his elbow encouraging him to say something. As he looked into Piper's eyes he _knew _something had changed, that seeing him break had changed how she saw him. That her knowing that Peyton and Parker were biologically his had also impacted how she saw him and that now that she'd seen the scars she finally grasped just how evil Wyatt could be and it was all wrong. Sure he needed her to believe him but he didn't want her to have actual evidence of just how far Wyatt had fallen, he knew how much that would haunt her.

"This doesn't change anything Piper." His words were an order and he could tell the others that had now entered the room were surprised at the tone. He watched as Paige stepped forward slightly, he didn't know how he knew there was a difference but he knew Paige was preparing to stop Piper if she got out of control as opposed to preparing herself to fight him.

"But-"

"No." He could see in her eyes that she believed everything had changed but he knew it shouldn't matter if his kids were adopted or biologically his, they were his and she should have understood how much he was risking by being here in the first place. If Bianca's presence didn't change that his kids shouldn't.

Paige's brow crinkled in confusion as Piper nodded slightly, giving in to Chris' demand. Moving even closer she noticed the kids in Chris' arms were not what Nathan and Noah usually looked like but she knew it was them. For a while she'd guessed that there was more to their story than they'd initially told but Paige had decided that Chris had probably done that to keep them safe and as such she'd decided not to pry.

"I'm glad your back." Paige restrained herself from hugging Chris, knowing he was already jumpy and one false move would mean he'd disappear without a second thought. However she couldn't help herself from stroking Nathan's hair back as she looked into his green eyes. It was amazing just how much of his dad you could see in him. "You too Nathan." As she turned to Noah she was struck by a sense of familiarity coming from somewhere other than her father and Isabelle but she didn't know who, there was definitely an image in her brain itching to get her attention but she couldn't grasp it yet. Shaking her head to get rid of the thought, she smiled warmly at the little girl, needing to reassure herself they were all back and in one piece. "There's the other little troublemaker."

Peyton smiled as she listened to her Aunt Paige - because in that moment that's who she was - she was more than just Paige of 2004. Everything about her was the same as her aunt. The way she tried to make sure none of them felt excluded, keeping things light and happy even as she talked about serious or difficult topics. So even while Peyton was well aware of the dangerous nature of Paige's earlier thought in regards to their heritage she needed the comfort her young Aunt provided.

Somewhat shocked, Paige easily slipped her arms around Noah holding her steady as she took the time to really take in her new appearance. Running a hand down Noah's soft hair she noticed the way Chris' eyes softened at the sight as if he was grateful that Paige hadn't reacted badly to Noah's request.

Mel was growing more agitated the longer she spent in the manor, over the last few months the place that she'd always been proud to call home had become more fear inducing than Wyatt's dungeons. All she wanted was to leave and go somewhere safe, discuss any new intel they had and not let her brother out of her sight. For a second she thought of telling him about how Wyatt had reacted when she'd been sent back but decided it was a memory she wanted to keep to herself as a reminder that her brother could possibly be saved.

Chris placed his free hand on Mel's arm, knowing she was close to losing any composure she had left. He shouldn't have been surprised that Paige had picked up on the exchange, passing Peyton back to him with a soft smile, since she'd always been pretty intuitive - hell she hadn't even acted surprised to see Peyton and Parker without their glamour. Once again he had to fight the overwhelming urge to run and tell her everything because she was his Aunt Paige and when she was around he didn't have to be the leader of anything. Yes Prue was great at that too and as the ex-source you couldn't really be surprised when Cole jumped at the chance to take the reins but there was something uniquely comforting about Paige.

Watching as Paige took Piper's arm and led her back to the others he was preparing to orb out when he was ambushed by his Grandpa's hug. "Don't you dare do something stupid like that again. I don't care if it meant taking a breather on trying to protect Wyatt, you are just as important as he is." Though his words were whispered, Chris knew that if it wasn't for the fact that he was respecting Chris' desire to keep his identity a secret, his grandfather would be screaming at him. As it was he was not looking forward to his next interaction with his Grams. They'd been kind and polite in an effort to save face and remain calm but he knew all bets were off now.

Nodding he waited to be released from the iron tight hug, the minute he was he smiled once more in his Grandpa's direction before orbing off, chuckling to himself as he heard his grandfather's answer to Leo's question about why he did that.

"He's a good kid. Good listener and great scrabble player." The nonchalant tone he used had it's intended affect and Victor watched as Phoebe and Leo seemed to get bogged down in how they had missed that development rather than wonder where Chris had run off to or any other dangerous questions.

"Come on dad, we'll give you a lift and go get Wyatt from Grams." Piper laced her arm through her father's elbow, startling Leo from his thoughts as she did the same to him. With a small sigh, she unconsciously rested her hand on her stomach. Her heart gave the usual flutter as she dissolved into orbs and as she landed in her father's apartment she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something big.

Her thoughts left her mind as she focused on Wyatt, she couldn't believe how natural her Grams looked standing there swaying the boy from side to side as his eyes drooped. Thinking back on the guilty yet happy looks Paige and Phoebe had shot her as they'd left, Piper knew she definitely needed to have a talk with her sisters but for now she was going to make sure Leo understood that it was either his family or the Elders. He'd stayed long enough to help the bastards get back on their feet, now it was his turn with them. Curling one of her son's long blonde hair's around her finger, Piper sighed knowing she was going to have a rough few days ahead of her but she was definitely not going to chicken out now.

:: :: :: :: ::

Wyatt nearly cried with happiness as he felt his brother's fortified connection again. He didn't even care that the connection was blocked, all he cared about was the fact that he was back. It was surprisingly easy to convince the evil him that he should take care of the ruling side of things and to just leave him in his chambers as to not confuse his followers. He knew he was safe as even evil Wyatt was aware that there were dangers associated with killing or injuring the other half of ones being and so he closed his eyes and took a minute to attempt to take another brick down from Chris' metaphorical wall - he knew it was a waste of time going after Mel's but he figured Chris' was worth a shot.

It was like a beam of light shot into his brain and he caught snippets of Chris' thoughts, the most obvious part being the big line drawn through the demons category and the big arrow pointing at the Elders, with Gideon written underneath as the top suspect. Wyatt smiled impressed by his siblings ability to deduce that part and he knew that now his only two goals were to figure out how to get back to the past and how to send Chris that premonition, for if he couldn't get there he wanted his little brother to be prepared.

A devious laugh slipped out of the mouths of all three of Piper's grown children as they finally had something to go on. All they needed now was irrefutable proof. Game on.

_**A/N So that's the end of another episode, hoped you liked it. Sorry again about the long wait, I'm planning a time skip next but not sure how much it will jump. There will be flashbacks and references to the missing time but there will not be many chapters on the next few episodes unless you guys have a specific episode you want me to cover. That's it for now.**_

_**~ Gabz**_


	22. Witch Wars

**A/N To my loyal readers, I apologise again for the wait. Health issues and writer's block is killing me, while I know how the story ends, the last part is causing some trouble. This episode is a little more switched around and less involved than usual, enjoy.**

If Chris had to think of one good thing that came from Wyatt's reign it had to be that those who had children, kept them hidden, meaning that pesky childhood viruses couldn't spread. So when Piper was called to pick eighteen month old Wyatt up from daycare because of a case of chickenpox, Chris was understandably concerned.

It was too late though.

Peyton and Parker had been playing with Wyatt the day before and sure enough when he orbed straight to Natalie's he found them and Belle covered in spots and scratching.

Two bottles of Calamine lotion later, the three of them along with Wyatt and Darryl's kids - Mikey and Darryl Jr - were covered in pink and under Sheila's care.

The usually tight lipped Chris had shocked the sisters when he'd revealed what was truly supposed to happen to their friendship with the Morris' and that the only reason everything was okay, was because Chris had handled the phantasm before it could cause anymore damage, revealing to the tribunal Barbas' plan without their help. Of course Chris was convinced Gideon had a hand in the incident but much like all the other times there was no proof.

Chris lay on the Morris' lounge room floor as he and Mel tossed a ice ball between them as they verbalized their thoughts. They'd been at this six months and Gideon had yet to slip up. They didn't know what was going on with their adult brother but they knew Wyatt was sending them messages in their sleep all of which revolved around Gideon being the evil one.

The Elders had proven both in the sisters time and in the future that the process of vetting one of their own was a long and grueling process and that was if you even convinced them to do it in the first place. It was a process that would give Gideon the perfect window of opportunity he needed to disappear and Chris couldn't have that.

Chris' last hope was in the crystals he'd sent into Gideon's chamber at Magic School. Part of the training that came with being in the Resistance was the ability to pick up the dull frequencies emitted by magical recording devices - like the ones currently occupying the manor. Chris almost laughed at the fact that the idiots at 'Witch Wars' had decided to taken on the Charmed Ones until he realized it was most likely a move orchestrated by Gideon and this was his chance to strike. It was also the perfect opportunity for Chris to launch his counterstrike - with Gideon distracted by the show and whatever plan he had brewing, it was unlikely he was paying particular attention to what was going on in his own office.

"It itches!" Peyton's exclamation was followed by agreeing groans from the others and a wail from Wyatt who was curled up in Chris' lap.

Mel moved quickly over to the magically enlarged couch - which the five older kids were spread out comfortably on - she gently placing her hand just above one of the pink covered spots. Mel focused her thoughts and magic, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding as small ice crystals embedded themselves in the lotion, cooling it more.

A sigh of relief left Peyton's lips and was quickly followed by the others as Mel did the same to them before moving back to her spot opposite Chris, . Her eyes ran over his pinched features and wished she was able to impart some wisdom on him - tell him they'd be fine or something.

Noticing Sheila's inquisitive glance from the armchair, Mel resisted the urge to roll her eyes but understanding that Sheila would undoubtedly want to know what she had just done to her kids. Since in the original timeline the Morris' despite reforming a slight acquaintanceship with the Halliwells did not trust them, it meant Mel was still a little unsure as to how Sheila would take the truth. Shrugging slightly she figured it was too late now. "I cooled the lotion, which soothed some more of the itchiness."

Sheila simply nodded at Jade and watched as the younger girl smiled slightly apparently pleased with her response though her hesitation was still obvious. She'd known of magic and the Sisters for a few years and of course she remembered her grandmother's ramblings when she was younger about Witchcraft but it was incredibly different experiencing it in person. She was sure none of them realised how the power was released into the room felt to a mortal, it was like this wave of warmth that made her hair stand on end since she wasn't fully aware of what was going on.

However just because she was aware of magic didn't mean she needed to be informed about it. Blissful ignorance - well as ignorant as she could get - worked perfectly fine and as such Jade's answer was perfectly acceptable. As she looked over at the young girl she couldn't help but think that Jade was more important to Chris and his kids than just their nanny - she knew Chris was protective but the way he seemed to respond to her silent questions showed a deeper connection.

Chris groaned as he felt another tug on his powers. He was growing increasingly frustrated with the mini-him. Since there was no plug on his powers, the mini-him actual stood a chance of regain his rightful powers the only thing stopping him was the years of practice Chris of keeping intruders out. Once particularly close fight had been right after the Spider Demon bit him. As it turned out, while he was pissed at Leo, mini-him had an axe to grind with him and decided to fight using Piper as his puppet.

Successfully disarming mini-him's attempt once more, Chris leant back resting his head against the couch.

While he told The Sisters and Leo the truth about Wyatt turning evil before their second child was born, Chris had neglected to tell them that he was in fact due in a few days. He figured the stress wasn't good for Piper and if any of the others knew Piper would weasel it out of them just by raising her eyebrow in that Piper way of hers.

Besides with the exception of Gideon they had no leads. Even with Phoebe and Piper's current neuroticism the only person that had crossed both their lists was Gideon - giving Chris a flare of hope. At least until Leo denied it both times and despite how many times Chris had argued, none of the agreed with him in regards to Leo being a terrible judge of character and the Gideon lead was snuffed out.

So here he was sidelined with no proof, tossing a ball of ice around with his sister as they thought up ways to deal with their dilemma.

Hearing a familiar buzzing, he waved his hand and a screen appeared, showing Gideon's office, the man himself finally making an appearance.

Glancing at the couch he was half grateful and half concerned to see that all five of the kids had scratched themselves to the point of exhaustion and were now napping, the saliva that dripped onto his hand informing him Watt was also asleep. Sheila appeared to have reached her stress limit as well as her book was hanging loosely in her hand while quiet snores slipped through her lips.

Shifting his gaze back to Gideon he watched as the older man waved his hand, sending various object flying around him in some sort of victorious dance.

He felt Mel move closer to him, seeking comfort as they felt the room cool a few degrees. It really was a testament to how far Gideon had fallen from the path of light that he was able to have such an impact even when he was not here in person. In Chris' mind he'd always seen magic as this web of connected energy and waves, someone's power correlating to how much of this web was accessible to them and as such if two webs were interacting it was quite likely that would result in a physical manifestation.

Unable to help her curiosity, Mel inched forward as she saw Gideon playing with only one half of a chess set, the second half covered by large, victorian curtains. Looking around the room she couldn't help the chuckle that slipped from her lips as she compared this idiots room to Wyatt's chambers. It was as if the both of them subscribed to 'Evil Lair' monthly.

In her opinion Gideon really wasn't making it hard to disguise his change to evil.

The dark coloured décor, the fact that all the windows were closed and their heavy drapes drawn so no light entered the room. The throne like chair - she had to admit that could go either way, the Elders weren't called pompous jackasses for nothing - but she was fairly certain it would have originally been a golden throne, whereas now it was charcoal black.

Jumping back in shock as the curtain opened to reveal Gideon in a slightly darker room than his own, Mel felt her eyebrows furrow. Nibbling her bottom lip, Mel groaned as she realised Gideon had just broken one of the most important rules ever - one does not _ever_ interact with alternate universes or parallel worlds, especially not the evil ones.

"Does he not realise how stupid he's being? He just keeps adding more evidence as to where Leo got his stupidity from." Mel watched as her words startled Chris from his thoughts. Unlike herself who had moved progressively further back at seeing two Gideons, Chris was pressed up against the screen, almost as if he was trying to teleport into the room through it.

Grunting in agreement, Chris waved his hand and a second image appeared. This one a direct feed into the crystals in the manor. He sighed as he watched Paige and Phoebe try to figure out what they needed to do now that they lost their charge.

While Paige hadn't left Tali to get her necklace - both of them deciding the decorative piece wasn't worth her life, Chris could admit he may have slightly influenced them - she hadn't been prepared for the brute and the darklighter to attack simultaneously and while she managed to kill the brute, the Darklighter had managed to get to a stunned Tali and stab her, instantly draining the life and power out of her.

Chris had felt his aunt's sorrow, from the Morris household and the only comfort he had was the fact that he could also feel not only her anger but her calmness. It had always amazed him the way his Aunt Paige managed to compartmentalize so that her need for revenge and justice did not cloud her rational mind. The inability to compartmentalize had resulted in many other members of their family's death and he was always grateful his aunt was different.

Spotting the red crystal that fell out of the Brute's pocket, he knew it was only a matter of time before it started broadcasting. Lining himself up with the screen he breathed deeply as he focused on channeling as much magic as he could into his hands. Moving it slowly to the side, Chris watched as Paige moved like his own little puppet towards the pale blue crystals.

He smirked as Paige set about casting a tracing spell, a faint beam emitting from the stone as it led to the wall where the entrance to magic school often appeared. He sighed in frustration as Paige furrowed her eyebrows, trying to understand why it was pointing to a blank wall before being distracted by the hologram projecting 'Witch Wars'.

Glancing back at the image of Gideon, he smirked as he watched the Elder pale slightly as Paige's inquisitive face appeared on his own screen. It was obvious he had planned for this to end differently, probably intending to sweep in at the last moment and offer the Charmed Ones his guidance and wisdom.

Unfortunately for Gideon, that was the last thing that was going to happen if Chris had anything to say about it.

Watching as the Elder instantly orbed from the room - probably trying to do as much damage control as possible - Chris smiled and looked over at his sister. He watched as her eyes widened in realisation of just what he had planned and he was once again immensely grateful that they had the same strategic mindset, he knew it was only a matter of time before she saw reason.

"No, no, no… nope, no way." Mel winced as an involuntary sigh slipped from her lips, the ball of ice she'd still been absentmindedly throwing between her hands falling to the floor with a thud before breaking into a pile of dust. "Why can't you do it?" Unable to keep the whine from her tone, she looked over at Chris, scowling as he just smiled cryptically.

:: :: :: ::

Mel growled in frustration as she moved closer to the large brown doors that seemed to just as far away and unattainable now than they did forty steps ago. She couldn't believe she'd let Chris talk her into this. Guilted was a more appropriate term but she could see the truth in his green eyes as he spoke of how much he didn't want to leave Pey, Parks and Belle when they were suffering.

There was no denying Chris was a great father in nearly all aspects. He was generally good under stress when one of his kids was injured in a fight or some other magical related injury but it seemed he'd finally met his match in the chicken pox.

It was times like this when she missed her Uncle Cole and Aunt Prue. They'd returned to the future after Cole had gotten one of his feelings that they were needed there. There was no denying that it was getting a little crowded in 2004 but that didn't mean that Mel was happy to see them leave. She knew it had killed Prue to leave Belle behind but they all knew it was physically safer for Belle to remain in the past with them. She was half convinced that the reason Wyatt had been successful in communicating with them in their dreams was thanks in large part to their Uncle Cole's meddling hand. She didn't understand how he was doing it but she just hoped that he wasn't putting himself in any more unnecessary danger.

She bit back a growl as she focused on her mission. As if the knowledge of her current form wasn't enough, the mocking sound of her tail hitting the tiled floor synchronizing perfectly with the soft pants leaving her mouth, reminded her that to all the others in the school she was just a Golden Retriever.

Her chuckle came out as a low grumble, causing the students around her to creep closer. She was sure at a normal school the students would at least be curious as to why there was a Golden Retriever roaming the halls but this was Magic School and nothing was normal here. Between Enola's various projections running around and the fairytale conjuring debacle of last year, a Golden Retriever that everyone could see was probably a welcome change - especially given that it appeared less dangerous than a Headless Horseman whose sole focus was to punish bad people.

As more and more students attempted to pat her, Mel had to focus harder on ensuring her body was intangible as it all relied on this moment. After all who would be fearful of an apparently friendly ghost dog.

Wincing as she heard Piper's voice echoing down the hall Mel shuffled slightly closer to the students in an attempt to remain in the clear. Stuck between seeing this through and getting the hell out of there, she breathed a sigh of relief as she realised the eldest Charmed One was simply interrogating yet _another_ teacher at Magic School.

Thanks to Phoebe's _wonderful_ research, Piper no longer trusted anyone, except her immediate family and Chris. Mel shook her furry head as she wrapped her mind around the fact that Phoebe had unintentionally given her sisters the perfect advice but instead of them looking at the Morris' or Gideon, Piper was wasting her time interrogating teachers - most of whom hadn't even met Wyatt and wouldn't ever meet him if she continued like this.

It appeared her brother had finally proven himself worthy in Piper's eyes and while she was glad he was out of Piper's firing range, she wasn't exactly thrilled that Chris seemed to find it harder to separate Piper and Mum. Sure the incident with the Spider Demon was a bit of set back but once Piper realised that not only had Chris attacked Leo but she had attacked Chris herself, she was more willing than expected to put the whole thing behind them, even going so far as to apologise.

Somehow in the past year, Mel had managed to come to think of Piper as just that, easily separating the mean woman in 2004 from her mother. Sure the willingness to die while protecting her family was there but her mother had been so insistent that she would recognise her children at any point in time and that was something Piper was steadfastly ignoring and it was killing her to see Chris faltering in his resolve. In the last few days with the chicken pox, Mel could see how much Chris wanted Piper to be Mum in those moments but she knew he wouldn't get the response he was searching for.

The students around her immediately scattered as they heard the familiar clipping of Piper's shoes as her voice grew louder and she drew closer.

It was almost laughable, but having been on the receiving end of both Piper's and her mother's rants she felt sorry for the occupants of Magic School, knowing that at least one of the students had to have been on the wrong side of Piper's wrath for the lot of them to act so quickly.

At least this way they wouldn't have to be burdened with the image of a suicidal ghost dog.

Scowling at her own body's betrayal as her tail tucked between her legs, Mel readjusted her paws into a better stance and took off at a sprint. The final words of the spell slipped through her lips just as she crashed into the wall.

Luckily between Chris and her they had their bases covered. If anyone witness her running into the wall, they'd simply see the 'conjured' dog turn into a pile of dust upon impact before being swept away by a non-existent wind. While if anyone then thought to check on the other side of the wall after realising it was Gideon's office, nothing would be amiss - not only was she currently invisible but Chris was doing a good job of masking her powers and aura.

Almost every magical creature would be fooled, their family members the only ones who stood a chance of sensing something was off as they would have been able to instinctually sense her.

Unable to delay her search any longer, Mel walked over to the mirror, her hands gripping the heavy curtains before throwing them open. She couldn't help the frown that formed on her face as she saw herself - exactly as she was now - staring back at her.

While Chris had successfully cloaked her from magical beings, objects were a whole other ball game. Especially objects as powerful as a looking glass to another world. Still she had expected something more to happen - scrunching her nose in concentration she wondered what you had to do to turn it on.

She moved back in surprise as the mirror flickered almost as if turning to liquid in front of her seemingly responding to her thoughts. Looking down she realised her fingertip was resting on the top of the rook, which was now slightly separated from it's base and had apparently 'unlocked' the mirror. Keeping her hand on the piece, she peered back into the mirror not surprised to see a much darker version of herself looking back at her.

"I knew I could pull off being one of Wyatt's guards." The was an echo as both Mel and her counterpart said that. It was rather amusing to see herself in such dark clothes, even as a child she'd been drawn towards bright colours and the only reason her clothes were slightly darker now is that was as far as she was wiling to compromise to give in. In both the literal and figurative 'dark world' of the future her clothes were a weakness.

Staring at herself now, she briefly wondered why they couldn't use a portal to swap the two Wyatt's in the future, it would be easier.

Finally differing from their mirrored stance, her counterpart threw up her hands in frustration. "He might be all _good _now… but he's my brother and I refuse to have some impostor who doesn't remember how fun it was to blow up the neighbours dog stand in his place. Besides Chris seems to be changing things significantly, as it appears Wyatt is finally starting to remember the joys of being evil, despite everything Gideon is doing to try and _fix_ him." She paused for a minute, her hand coming to rest on her hip as she focused on her counterpart. "I did always wondered where Leo got it - his stupid need to try and fix people until they fit his mould."

Mel couldn't help the laugh that slipped through her lips as she watched her counterpart halt her pacing. It was somewhat nice to know that no matter what world they lived in, she couldn't stand Leo and Gideon was considered an idiot.

Running her hand along the glass of the mirror, she quirked an eyebrow at her counterpart. Taking a moment she briefly wondered whether she could get away with an eyebrow piercing, she figured Chris wouldn't mind, Wyatt might have something to say though and she knew her mother would definitely kill her - of course that all depended on them fixing the future in the first place.

"So do we just will it to break? I mean it worked on Ms Gardner in second grade." Evil Mel pursed her lips as she finished talking, taking a moment to savor the memory of the look of pure horror on her teacher's face before every bone in her body broke. She personally believed Ms Gardner had gotten off too easily.

Mel winced as she thought back on what she considered to be her evilest act - at least prior to Wyatt's regime. She never really knew what it was that came over her but it was as if - for a moment at least - she wasn't herself, that she was simply a puppet under someone else's control.

At least now she understood why it was so strong. There was no denying that as the daughter of a Charmed One and an ex-Elder she was strong but what had transpired in that classroom was something very much above her pay grade.

Unable to stop herself Mel took a step back at the crazy look in her counterpart's eyes. It appeared that while Mel had struggled for years to come to terms with what happened and eventually attributed it to magical influence by an outsider, her counterpart had reveled in it - overjoyed that she had finally proven that she could was capable of such an evil act at such a young age.

For a moment Mel wondered how her counterpart had handled being trapped in side Wyatt's talisman. How she dealt with watching Chris, Parker and Peyton being brought to Wyatt's personal torture chamber when they were finally kidnapped, while knowing from the glimpses she caught that Bianca was unreachable as she worked on proving her loyalty to Wyatt and rising in the ranks. She questioned how a person who thrived on power had managed - with her limited innate magic - to find the strength to glamor Peyton and Parker from Wyatt long enough to keep her brother from finding out just how important the kids were to Chris.

Of course she also wondered what countered as torture in their reversed world.

Now that she thought the events over with a fresh perspective, Mel recalled feeling the same rush of power that she'd had in second grade. It was somewhat comforting to know that she'd would truly die - no matter what way her moral compass pointed - before she let Wyatt do something stupid and irreparably damaging to their family. While she had no doubt that somewhere inside him Wyatt knew the truth about Parker and Peyton, she knew his pigheadedness meant that unless something was spelt out for him _with _verbal confirmation he'd just ignore it.

Shivering at the thought of Wyatt truly knowing the truth she shed a tear at how far that monster was from her brother. Feeling sick as she recalled how easily it had been for him to hurt children and manipulate Chris even without knowing the full truth.

It killed Mel to hear her brother's agonizing screams as he pleaded for Wyatt to stop, that they were just kids and he was going too far this time. She could sense Wyatt's evil smirk as he realized he'd won, that he had Chris just where he needed him. So she'd watched as with a wave of Wyatt's hand, Chris had switched places with his kids and they were transported into their own cell on the other side of the observation room, their tiny bodies collapsing under their own weight as they finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

At the time Mel had no idea how her glamour had held out for three more weeks or how Bianca had arranged for the three of them to escape without her giving up her position -only three tiers away from Wyatt's private guard - all she knew was that the look of determination in Chris' eyes finally convinced her that he had a plan, a plan that would fix all of this.

That look had given her hope.

As she pulled back from her memories, she felt a smirk tug at her lips as she realised what she had to do now. Chris, Parker and Peyton had somehow managed to stay alive that month and now it was up to her to do her part. Nodding at her counterpart, she raised her hand in a mock salute, bidding her double farewell hoping they wouldn't get the chance to see each other again.

Focusing on the mirror, she felt her magic build within her except this time she was acutely aware of the darkness twisting with it. Glancing once more at her counterpart she saw the same disgusted look she figured was on her own face at her temporarily tainted magic. Everything in their bodies were telling them that this was wrong, how Gideon hadn't realised that yet was beyond Mel but she had to admit she was grateful that they few times her counterpart and her had locked on the same spell there wasn't a portal magnifying their magic in the way it was now.

Unable to help the shudder that ran through her body, Mel sighed in relief as the twisted magic was expelled from her body, striking the mirror with amazing force. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting but the fact that there was no shattering of the glass, no curtain dropping and not even any light flickering was rather anti-climatic.

Sneaking a peak at the mirror just in case it didn't work, she was relieved to see only her own reflection. Stepping a little closer she let out a gasp as she noticed that the undersection of her hair now had a stripe of pure black.

Running her hand through the stripe she was surprised as she was hit was a wave of darkness. Gnawing at her bottom lip, she once again cursed her older brothers - yes she included Wyatt in that, if he hadn't turned evil they would of never had to go through this - and Chris well he surely should have known that there would have been consequences to destroying the portal but no he kept that to himself.

Pausing in her rant, she remembered the look of pain on Chris' face as his kids had continued to scratch even as they attempted to sleep. There were very few instances where Chris was completely powerless to help his kids and it appeared that having to deal with the same mundane problems that ordinary parents do was Chris' breaking point. As she released the miss-coloured hair Mel felt those thoughts immediately cease.

Scowling at the potential danger this consequence now had she transformed back into her dog form as she began her trip to find Enola. She'd promised Chris she'd orb straight back after she'd finished but with this latest development she could definitely use the wise words of her not yet babysitter.

:: :: :: ::

Gideon scowled as he orbed back into his room, sure his plan had been a success in getting the Charmed Ones off his trail however the absence of their whitelighter was unnerving. He didn't know what it was but something about the kid from the future had always distressed him. It was as if Chris could see straight into his soul and read every thought that crossed his mind - and it was that initial unease that lead him to masking both his own thoughts and Sigmund's.

Resting his hand on the rook, he couldn't help the roar of anger that overcame him when his mirror didn't come to life. All that stared back at him was his own reflection. Feeling the power bubbling in his palms, he watched as lightening slipped from his hands destroying the now magic-free mirror.

Hearing his assistant at the door, Gideon slipped his mask on so as to not have him ask questions as to why he had just destroyed a piece of décor. As far as Sigmund knew it was just a mirror and Gideon needed for it to stay that way as he knew his sometimes friend would think he was too far gone.

"Sigmund." Turning to the shorter man, he took in the worried frown across his face and felt a scowl wanting to return to his lips. "Try to relax. We were successful today. They're off our trail. Even better, their guard is down which makes it that much easier to eliminate the threat."

Sigmund scoffed at his mentor's words unable to hold in his doubts and disgust anymore, especially after having not only spoken to Phoebe but been interrogated by Piper. If it wasn't for Leo's sudden arrival he was sure that he would have cracked. If he was honest with himself he wished he'd cracked faster. "His name is Wyatt."

"I'm sorry?" Gideon raised an eyebrow at his assistant deciding that for his loyalty thus far, he'd give him an out.

Rolling his eyes at Gideon's attitude, Sigmund continued on knowing that while it wasn't his place to question Gideon, if he didn't no one would and Wyatt could end up being evil as a result of their actions to try and stop that. "What if Phoebe was right? What if future Wyatt wasn't turned evil by a demon? He's just an innocent baby." It was hard to think of his innocent blue eyes being tainted the way Sigmund noticed Gideon's eyes were. It just wasn't right. "What if, in trying to eliminate a threat, we are actually creating a monster? That's such a tender age to be betrayed by those who have sworn to protect you. What if that's what turns him?"

Turning his back on his assistant, Gideon pinched the bridge of his nose trying to quell his rising anger so as to not to end up in an unfortunate situation. "It's possible. Anything is possible. But armed with this future knowledge, we have to try to make sure that it doesn't happen this time."

"The only way to be sure is to stop this now." Sigmund was proud that his voice didn't quiver the way he'd been expecting.

Gideon's aura was pitch black dark now which terrified him and as a being who despised conflict with everything in him something which was part of the reason why he agreed to this in the first place, he felt more conflicted then ever. After all if they could help eliminate the threat then they'd be no conflict in the future but what if Phoebe was right and by letting Gideon get away with this he was damning the future.

"Sigmund!" Gideon's rage flared once more, his hand waving as he pinned the smaller, weaker, spineless slop of a man to the wall. "This child should never have been born. He is extremely dangerous. Why am I the only one who seems to understand that?"

Releasing a breath of air as Gideon dropped him, Sigmund inched towards the door grateful that his mentor was now currently lost in his thoughts as he pondered just why he was the only one who saw his actions as being for the greater good. "That's a very good question, sir, and with all due respect, it's why I can't let you go through with this." His hand clasped around the door handle as he pulled the door open. "I'm going to tell the sisters the truth." Instantly his body froze in the doorway as he began to rise above the floor.

Gideon shook his head sadly as he circled around Sigmund. "I'm sorry, old friend. But this too, is for the greater good. Forgive me."

The last thing Sigmund heard was the echoing sound of Gideon clapping his hands together. Instantly it felt like ever cell in his body was being pulled apart at the same time. He couldn't hear anything over his screams and just like that it was over.

There was an eerie smile on Gideon's face as he destroyed his friend. Reaching behind him, he grabbed the small crystal from his bookshelf turning the nearly clear crystal over in his hands.

Placing it in the ashes, he waited for Sigmund's ghost to appear - after all warning the Charmed Ones definitely counted as unfinished business and it was just going to have to remain that way. While the mirror might be destroyed, the plan was still in place and as long as everything happened at the right time nothing needed to change. Suddenly the crystal turned a blood red colour and Gideon smiled as he picked it up.

"Hello Sigmund." If it was possible for a ghost to pale that's exactly what would have happened. "It's time for you to go to the chamber but not to worry you'll have some company soon enough."

:: :: :: ::

Chris yawned as he headed back towards the conservatory. He was on babysitting duty tonight since the Sisters and Leo had decided to head out and celebrate destroying the demons who were after Wyatt. Chris had desperately tried to convince them otherwise but without physical evidence he had no ground to stand on. Of course that meant that an hour ago when he'd received the call saying Piper had gone into labour he realised he was out of time.

Unfortunately Mel was still MIA and at the moment he just hoped she'd gotten caught up with Enola as opposed to gotten herself into any trouble. Tossing the bottle of calamine lotion between his hands, he sighed to himself as he mentally prepared himself to wait for whoever was going to turn Wyatt to come to him. He knew Piper was meant to be in labour for twenty-seven hours so he had a bit of time left but it was fraying on his nerves.

Finally entering the conservatory the sight before him had him freezing in place. Wyatt's blue shield was out and covering Belle, Peyton and Parker, while a demon, darklighter and warlock surrounded them. Stunned by the weird combination - at least weird for 2004 - it took Chris a moment to react and that was all they needed. The bottle of lotion shattering as it hit the ground and Chris moved into action. He watched as a weird powder like substance floated through Wyatt's bubble and their heads began to droop. Within seconds all three of their enemies were destroyed and Chris was raced forward, his hands still raised as he watched Wyatt's shield flicker before disappearing completely.

Reaching the four of them, he quickly met each of their eyes trying to figure out if they'd been hit by something that would just make them sleepy or unconscious or would kill them. Catching sight of the corner of their eyes, he let out a breath knowing it was just a basic sandman potion that wouldn't have any lasting consequences.

Feeling a shift in the air, he found himself surrounded. The sandman potion being thrown at him from all directions as he tried to take his enemies out and destroy the potion bottles.

"Daddy, run." Peyton's words were soft as she fought the effect of the potion, while trying to avoid being hit with another dose. From what she could gather they were not going to be harmed - more likely they were going to be kidnapped and used as a bargaining chip.

Parker raised a hand and a stream of fire took out a line of enemies before it disappeared mid run. He felt the drain on his body from both the potion and the chicken pox and couldn't help but think that Piper's idea that Wyatt needed to live a normal life with regular kids who get chicken pox was the stupidest idea he'd heard in a while. "Just take Wyatt. We'll be alright, they're not trying to kill us."

Belle forced her eyes to remain open as she pushed Wyatt into Chris' arms. "Go. If you save Wyatt, you save us all. Just go Chris." Seeing the guilt in his eyes, she straightened and adopted the mask that had helped her survive in the future. "Now!"

Her cousin disappeared in a shower of orbs, his green eyes looking more haunted then they had in a while. Unable to fight it anymore, Belle felt her body give in and with one last breath she desperately called out for help.

"Mel…"

**A/N and that's it, we're coming into the final stretch of the story. One or two more chapters and then a possible epilogue. Sorry again for the wait guys. ~ Gabz**


	23. The End Part 1

**A/N Only the part 2 and the epilogue to go now. Hope you all enjoyed reading this story, I know I've loved writing it both for myself and for you.**

**On with the story! ~Gabz**

"Come on Wyatt. Focus."

"Shut up Uncle Cole, what the hell do you think I'm doing." The blonde ground his teeth together as he tried to control the urge to strangle his retired-demonic Uncle.

"Wyatt! Cole! This is not the time, especially given that we're running out of it." Turning to her husband Prue let her mask drop for a moment, a rare vulnerability shining through her silver orbs. "I can't lose him again."

Her words floated over to Wyatt and his knees buckled as he fell to the floor, his hands cradling his face as he wept. "I'm useless, I have no power. What do you expect me to do?"

Cole shook his head as he finally after all these months saw the Wyatt he was looking for. The scared big brother who would do anything to protect his siblings only to realise he was powerless to do so. It had taken them a while to remember the warning to the spell but eventually they understood that the powers couldn't be split in two forever and that the side which practiced more got to retain the powers. By that point it had been too late.

"You're wrong Wyatt. If you had _no_ power you wouldn't be able to send you siblings flashes in their dreams. The power you have is different. Yes, you don't have your Halliwell magic or any demonic powers but you do have your bond. A bond which should allow you to connect to them when the time is right." Pulling the vial out from behind his back, he placed it in Wyatt's hand, curling his fingers so that it stayed in place. "You're going to take that with you when you go back and once you drink it, you will be transported straight to the attic."

Listening to the detached tone Cole was using, Prue shook her head at her husband's motivational techniques. While they worked for Chris and Mel who had rather easily adopted the war mentality, it appeared he'd forgotten that the Wyatt who dealt with the killing, the plotting and the planning was currently outside ruling and the Wyatt that was left behind was just a scared little boy.

Bending down, she looked into his frightened, vulnerable blue eyes and for once she saw that they were completely untainted. This was the nephew she was supposed to have. Brushing his hair back slightly, she sighed as he leant into her hand seeking whatever comfort he could find. "You'll be okay sweetie. And this time when you save Chris he may actually agree with your methods."

Unable to hold back his chuckle, Wyatt picked himself up off the ground, determination flooding though him once more and looked his Uncle in the eye waiting for the next instruction.

"Okay we have between seven and twenty hours to do this." Seeing the look Prue and Wyatt shot him, Cole rolled his eyes in frustration. "It's not as if Chris is living at the same time as us just twenty something years in the past. I just have to go with my gut and my guts telling me between seven and twenty."

Turning back to the triquetra on the wall, they all sighed once needing to get it out of their system before they tried again.

"Well here goes nothing." Closing his eyes, Wyatt focused on his heartbeat needing it to slow down into a state of near stillness as this was the only chance they had left. He wasn't sure how long he was like that the seconds, minutes and hours all just melded together seeming to simultaneously take forever and no time at all. Finally he felt what he was waiting for, making sure the vial was still in his hand, he let a smile grow on his lips determined to fix things once and for all.

:: :: :: :: ::

Mel growled in frustration as she pulled against the chains. This was completely humiliating.

They'd survived years under Wyatt's reign but they'd finally been foiled by a bout of Sandman's potion and desperation. Desperation that had caused Belle to unknowingly call her right into a second ambush in their rush to save Wyatt before it was too late. Feeling the dark thoughts swirling in her mind, she shook her head from side to side, hoping to move her newest stylistic addition away from her face.

Honestly she was getting really sick of that stupid punishment for destroying the mirror.

First step of her plan when she's back in her own time was to see if anyone has some way of neutralizing her hair. For now she was just going to keep cursing the chains until she got free.

"Auntie Mel, I don't think you're having as much luck there as you seem to think you are." Parker couldn't help but laugh at the look his Aunt threw his way before resuming her previous actions.

Shaking his head, he looked to Sigmund, scowling at the useless ghost before he tuned back into the conversation Belle and Peyton were having in yet another desperate attempt to figure out a spell that would overpower Gideon's charms and send someone to help them.

"It would have to be a member of the family."

Peyton nodded her head at Belle's statement. Unfortunately the family they had in 2004 was useless to help - she was positive Gideon had them somewhere off the correct radio frequencies.

She also knew that her daddy had to protect Wyatt now that the time was ticking down and they had no way of knowing how long they'd been in this room anyway. They could try Grams but she'd likely just get stuck in here like Sigmund. Grandpa Victor was always an option, he could probably come and go since the charms probably only restricted those with magic but they had no idea where they were and that could be very deadly to a mortal.

"Henry Jr's back maybe he could help, he's only a year younger than Auntie Mel."

"No, he's got his powers again and even if he didn't and we managed to get him safely out of here. Aunt Paige would recognize him in an instant and quite possibly kill us." Belle's tone showed her frustration as she glanced at the others for help. "Remind me again, why you can't go haunt Gideon's ass down?"

Sigmund pushed himself further into the corner, unnerved by the angry silver eyes now trapped on him. "I'm bound to this crystal." Once Gideon's minions had chained the still sleeping prisoners to the wall, and the charms had been reactivated all the glamours and potions protecting them had worn off and Sigmund had blanched as he realised his ex-friend had managed to kidnap a good chunk of the Halliwell line and his fear had been growing ever since.

"We have no choice, we have to try and bring Uncle Wyatt here." Parker's statement had everyone freezing as they turned to look at him as if questioning his sanity. "From what you and Dad have been seeing in your sleep, he's trying to help. Maybe he's not evil anymore."

Mel looked over at her nephew her thoughts clouded by the feeling that something was about to go horribly wrong. "I don't know…"

"Just think about it. He's our best hope and they haven't killed each other yet but you know Gideon won't hesitate to kill either of them along with baby Wyatt." Parker's eyes met his Aunt's, finding comfort in the familiar green orbs. He watched as the thoughts passed through her mind, each one accompanied by an emotion that would slightly alter the green pigment. Finally he saw what he was looking for and sighed a breath of relief.

Peyton hearing the words in her brother's mind, projected them into Belle and Mel's minds, knowing they would instinctually know which words to change. Looking to her brother she waited for the signal and began chanting hearing her family's echoing words around her.

"_I call upon the Halliwell power,_

_to help me in this darkest hour._

_My Uncle Wyatt I wish to seek,_

_so Dad's blood does not leak._

_Send him my message, read my mind,_

_come to us now, ignore space and time."_

Belle looked around as a large wind took over the room, swirling their hair around before it stilled completely. She felt her breath rush out of her as disappointment pooled in her stomach. "What now?"

Before anyone could say anything they became aware of someone softly screaming, the sound increasing as if they were coming closer yet for a minute no physical body followed.

"Ouch." Wyatt touched his palm to his head, wincing when he drew it back and saw the blood. Looking around the room, he felt his eyes widen as he took in it's occupants - who were chained to the wall.

Rushing forward to help, he ignored the way the two children flinched back and though it caused an ache in his heart he knew he deserved it and more. His fingers stopped their movements just above the boy's cuffs as he noticed the tattoo branded into the young child's skin. "I did that?"

It wasn't meant to come out like a question as he was aware of what had happened, he had the memories after all. Except those memories seemed like a movie of someone else's life. He looked at the intricate design that now flowed from the brand and couldn't help his soft smile knowing his little brother was behind that little change that probably meant a hell of a lot.

"No duh."

The response had his head snapping up as it was such a Chris thing to say and he nearly jumped back in shock as he came face to face with what appeared to be a six year old Chris. His anger filled green eyes glaring at him in a way Chris never had.

Wyatt's mind quickly filled in the blanks and he was forced to face the truth and accept with a heavy heart what he'd been too stubborn to admit before. That the kids - the only kids - he'd personally tortured were in fact Chris' children.

Pushing aside his self loathing he focused on the cuffs once again, determined to get them down from there. Finally prepared to feel the cool metal under his fingers, his eyes widened in disbelief as his fingers passed right through them. Moving his hand to the other cuff he repeated his actions only to get the same result. Gently touching the boy's hand he let out a sigh of relief when he was able to feel Chris' son's surprisingly soft skin.

"What have you done Wyatt?"

Mel watched her brother through cautious eyes watching as he flinched in response to her question and she quickly realised that for the first time that's exactly who he was. There was absolutely zero hint of magical manipulation or icy coldness in his eyes and that could only mean one thing. "Are you mortal?"

Unable to look his sister in the eyes, he nodded once his head turned in shame.

"Good."

"Wait, what?" Wyatt swept across the room coming to stand next to his sister. Pausing his steps he shot Persephone a quick smile but he couldn't help but feel annoyed at himself that he couldn't remember her nickname, he knew he used to call her by it but it had been so long that he just couldn't access it.

Mel looked down at him, seeing the honest confusion in his eyes. "You can get out of here. You can-"

"I can save Chris before Gideon kills him." Wyatt continued for her though he couldn't stop his eyes from watering when he realised that it was time. That if he messed up he'd end up loosing his brother for good. Remembering the vial that remained safely enclosed in his fist he slowly opened his palm, knowing that there was only one shot at this and he wasn't going to ruin it by dropping the vial . "But I can't just leave you here."

"You can and you will." Mel's voice left no room for arguing and for once Wyatt could see his little sister leading an army in the way Chris had bragged about when he'd been captured.

"You have to." Mel forced her worry back as she focused on her want to have both her brothers after this.

Looking into her eyes he saw that behind the ferocious determination was a bit of insecurity. So once again ignoring the way Mel flinched as he moved closer to her, Wyatt pressed his lips to forehead before uncapping the vial. "Here goes nothing."

:: :: :: :: ::

Chris' body continued to mimic sleep as he slowly returned to consciousness. It something that had become an instinctual survival mechanism when he was on the run and as he pulled himself from the dark nothingness that accompanied a Sandman potion he couldn't help but see the irony in that sentence.

Taking note of the state of his body ensuring nothing was badly injured, he quickly questioned what the weight that he felt across his mid-drift was. Subtly reaching out with his powers he found Wyatt's unique aura and was grateful that he'd managed to get his baby brother somewhere safe.

At least for now.

Waiting until he felt the full effects of the potion had worn off, Chris slowly raised his body, keeping a steady hand on a sleeping Wyatt's back. His brother's soft blonde hair fell in front of his eyes and Chris couldn't prevent his smile as he thought of how much his mum would flip if she saw how long her baby boy's hair had gotten. Hell by her standard even Chris' reasonably short hair could use another trim.

Looking around he was only somewhat surprised to find he'd orbed straight to cave that was one of the emergency access points for the Resistance. It seemed that with Gideon finally deciding to act Chris' mind and body had instinctually slipped into survival mode.

Cradling Wyatt to his chest, Chris looked down at his baby brother's innocent smile with pain filled eyes. "It's going to be different this time Wy, I promise."

Wyatt shifted against him a content sigh slipping out through his small lips as he burrowed further into Chris' shirt. "Kwis."

Watching as Wyatt's eyelids slowly fluttered open, determination flooded Chris as his brother's innocent blue eyes peered up at him with pure trust and awe. Gideon should have thought twice about messing with a Halliwell.

Clearing his mind Chris was only slightly frustrated when he hit a wall while trying to get through to his kids. Though he protectively tightened his grip on Wyatt, for now he'd just be satisfied that they were safe. He knew that if they were injured no amount of magic would prevent him from feeling it and even though whatever magic Gideon had called up was probably designed to keep them separated from him, Chris was grateful for that wall as it meant they were alive.

He'd long ago made peace with the fact that he might die on this mission - he also knew dying and forgetting everything was kind of a cowardly way out but he could deal with that as long as his family was safe. Both future and present members.

Wyatt's ears perked as he heard his dad desperately calling for him. He knew Chris didn't like their Daddy but Mummy had always said to go when Daddy called. Hearing the fear in his dad's voice little Wyatt knew he had to help just like Chris was always doing. Closing his eyes he quickly thought of his father, making sure not to take Chris with him as he disappeared.

Lost in his thoughts, Chris nearly missed Wyatt orbing out but recovered just in time. Grabbing onto his orb trail he was too late to pull his baby brother back and instead sent out a quick prayer that they weren't orbing right into Gideon's ambush.

:: :: :: :: ::

Gideon paced around the attic frantically, catching sight of his glamoured body he couldn't help but notice the crazed look in 'Leo's' eyes as he glanced at the mirror. Pushing his hand outward, he smiled happily as the glass fractured in numerous places before being expelled from the frame following a bolt of lightening.

Calling out for Wyatt he chucked in joy as his plan finally came to fruition.

Hearing the telltale sound of orbing Gideon waited out in the open dagger at the ready until he saw just how big the mass was and realised the toddler was not alone.

Ducking behind what remained of some old couch, he quietly swore when the whitelighter that he'd never really been able to shake formed. Tapping into his powers, he was surprised to find that it was harder than he anticipated to reach the warm pit that held his Elder powers. It was as if he had to wade through a heavy darkness to make it there.

Finally secure in his knowledge that he was hidden Gideon started to rework his original idea, sending for his partner early.

The hairs on the back of Chris' neck prickled and he knew Gideon was here. Watching the confusion in Wyatt's small eyes he was filled with relief at the fact that he was able to get to his baby brother before Gideon could make his move.

Focusing his power he tried to find Gideon's location but quickly realised his own magic was not quite up to par yet. Growling in annoyance he headed over to where Wyatt was resting in the middle of the room. "Okay, it's time to get you outta here."

Bending down to grab Wyatt, Chris spun just in time to deflect Gideon's hit. He watched with puckered eyebrows as the table collapsed under the force of the magic instead of under his body as he'd seen so many times in his dreams.

Twisting towards where he remembered the Elder being, Chris watched as tendrils of black smoke left his palm and wrapped around the Elder's form, binding him to the visible world.

An inhuman growl escaped the black figure and Chris felt fearful in a way he hadn't since he was little.

Even when Wyatt was the screwed up ruler of the world he had morals. Morals that Chris struggled to understand but morals none the less. He knew that Gideon however was long past that point.

"Don't make me sacrifice you both." The hissed words were said with near glee that sounded more like a wish than a warning as a dagger appeared in the air. The blade reflecting the never ending blackness Chris seemed to find in his life.

"Wyatt orb now." Chris focused all his attention on keeping Gideon from getting his baby brother and as such didn't see the two new figures appearing in the room as he fought off a stream of attacks as his brother finally escaped.

Though thoroughly weirded out as he watched his baby self orb away, Wyatt refocused his thoughts in time to see Barbas appear behind Chris, a dagger in his hand poised to strike. Without a second thought, he rushed forward, pushing Chris to the ground as the dagger struck him straight through the chest.

Despite what many believed Barbas did in fact have a sense of self preservation and there was no way he was going to get sent back to that hell hole even for the gloating privileges of killing the future version of the Twice Blessed.

Barely sparing a glance at the filth responsible for getting him involved in this, Barbas disappeared knowing he was going to have to lay low for quite a while after this one.

Chris' head ricocheted off the ground with a sickening crunch and as his eyes started to close he knew there was one thing he had left to do. Pulling Bianca's athame from his boot, he ran his finger over the emblem one last time before he sent it piercing through the air and straight into Gideon's forehead.

He knew it wasn't the nicest or most pleasurable - for the tormentor at least - impact site but it's position meant that Gideon had no way of recovering even if he was resurrected the damage would be there forever. Anyone could heal a heart but the brain was a whole other ballpark.

Fighting to keep his eyes open as he heard his brother's blood filled gasps for air next to him, Chris screamed out at his weakness as the darkness finally overwhelmed him.

:: :: :: :: ::

"_Chris!" Wyatt's voice echoed around him as he tried to peel open his eyelids. "Don't you dare walk away from me, you're going to be in so much trouble when Mum finds out what you did."_

Confusion filled Chris as he recalled hearing that exact sentence before.Blinking rapidly as the light assaulted his eyes he managed to focus enough to recognise the lockers he was running past as the ones from junior high.

_He felt the strain in his legs as he rounded three more corners before resting against a bank of lockers, certain that his goody two shoes brother would have gone back to class by now._

_It didn't seem to matter what Chris did, all his teachers and parents and school friends seemed to do was compare him to Wyatt. Hitting his head against the locker, he wondered - rather morbidly - how many times, at how high a velocity, at what strength hard would he have to do this to cause blood to stain the precious green lockers._

"_Chris?" His name was said in a mix of curiosity, disbelief and disappointment - the latter emotion, which he was used to hearing in with his name only increased his anger._

"_What?" Startled by the harshness of his own tone, he open one eye and peaked out at the shadow in front of him. At first he was struck by the fact that a girl was addressing him at all, then the fact that she used his first name - not Halliwell or Wyatt's little bro as he was known to everyone here and at Magic School and finally that she was really pretty._

_Then he took in her stance and the jaded look in her eyes and he knew._

"_Look, either you're being punished for something or you got the wrong Halliwell because there's no way I'm important enough for someone to send an assassin after." Ignoring her stunned look, he let his angry frustration take over again and a scowl settle across his face as he closed his eyes again. "You're boss would probably be happier if you came back with the Twice Blessed. He's down the hall, room 3J."_

_Sensing her taking a step closer his eyes flicked to her again and realised she was probably closer to sixteen than to his eleven. He knew in any other circumstance he wouldn't be so brave when talking to a pretty girl, let alone one so much older than him but he was in his element._

_Glancing at her eyes, he saw that beneath all her bravado she was scared. He understood that, hell he was fairly certain he had the same look in his eyes at the moment but despite all that he knew what he had to do. No matter how many times someone compared him to Wyatt and no matter how much he seemed to fail to meet their expectations and that he seemed to disappoint everyone except his Aunts, Uncles and his mother, Wyatt was still his brother and he wasn't going to let some pretty assassin kill him._

_Watching as she blinked in confusion, he fought to keep the smirk off his face as he quickly got to his feet, all thoughts of bloody lockers gone for now. Moving into his fighting stance, he finally smirked as her dagger finally appeared and along with it her tattoo. "Phoenix, nice."_

_As Chris continued going through the motions of the fight, he felt time catch up again and outright laughed at the look of absolute confusion on his assassin's face._

_Done playing with her, he called for her dagger and spun so that the tip was placed at her neck. "Are you done now?"_

_He felt her shift against him as she tried to fight back but he was unrelenting as he counted her moves. Spinning away from her, he tucked the blade into his boot knowing it would only enrage her that she had lost it._

"_Until next time…" Waiting patiently for her name he never stopped smirking, even going so far as to raise an eyebrow when she still didn't respond._

"_Bianca."_

_Smiling as she reluctantly gave up her name, Chris dropped the illusion and watched as the light left the hallway, darkness streaming in from the nearby._

"_What just happened?"_

_He knew she'd probably intended for her question to not be heard by him but the smug streak that ran through him caused him to answer her. "Oh that little trick, yeah it's about six at night now. I just figured if we were going to fight it'd be better when the mortals weren't around."_

_With that said he orbed out of there, her blade tingling from it's confines in his boot as if expressing her outrage for her._


	24. The End Part 2

**A/N Last one and then Epilogue ~ Gabz**

When the next scene started Chris had already figured out that he was going through his memories - probably the memories that had kept him going all these years - and there wasn't likely anything he could do to stop it or speed it up. So instead he just sat back and waited.

_Two beautiful green eyes stared up at him from the pink creature in his hands. It was almost surreal that the baby in the bundled up blanket was his yet the eyes were impossible to deny._

_Brushing his finger across the little boy's cheek, he looked over at his sleeping girlfriend and knew that their plan B - well more like X - had to be put into place. His baby boy was going to get the chance to grow up in a place not ruled in fear and chaos but one where he could spend all day playing with friends and still manage to convince his Auntie Mel to take him out to parks at midnight just like his name called for._

_Smiling as Parker wrapped his tiny fist around Chris' pinky, he cuddled his little boy closer as he moved over to the other hospital bed. Given that the Resistance was created as a place to fight against Wyatt's forces and as a refuge to those who needed it, he was genuinely proud of the work that went into creating this place but even the swankiness of their infirmary couldn't hide the fact that this is generally where their members came to die._

_If they could be healed they would have, long before they made it this far._

_Sinking into the large armchair in between two of the other beds he looked over at his basically comatose grandfather and his injured best friend. "Hey Gramps, I want you to meet Parker, he's a fighter just like you. He shouldn't be alive right now, one of Wyatt's guys stabbed Bianca real bad but he fought it and even healed B." Pressing a soft kiss to his grandfather's head he heard the soft pain-filled breath of air he pulled in and knew it wasn't long now._

_Turning to his friend, he winced as he once again searched for a scrap of unburnt skin. "Hey Nate, I swear Parker has already inherited some of his characteristics from you. He not only sleeps like a log but he drools a bit too." Watching the ventilator pump more air into his friend's lung, he couldn't stop the tears from falling. "I know you're ready to go now. I would have never made it this far without you and I know you and Gramps will be watching over me."_

_With that said he pulled Parker even closer to his chest as he gestured for the nurse to remove life support. They'd been asking him about it for days but with his grandfather, his girlfriend and his baby fighting for their lives he just wasn't able to make the call._

_Feeling the small hand tighten around his pinky, he pressed a soft kiss to Parker's forehead knowing that somehow his baby boy knew he needed that._

_He wasn't lying when he said Nathan was the reason Chris was able to deal with this newest task. Sure he'd taken care of his cousins until they'd demanded to fight but then they'd subsequently been killed despite how much he'd tried to save them and if he couldn't save them how was he supposed to take care of a baby but Nathan had kept him going. He kept reminding him that he could do this._

_So he had to keep fighting for Nathan, for his cousins, for everyone who died during the war and for those who didn't but most importantly he had to do it for his family. The world wasn't supposed to be this way and Chris was going to do everything in his power to fix it. _

_As the tube was pulled from Nathan's throat, Chris knew he'd do it so his friend got a different ending._

_It wasn't quick or painless and it was taking everything in Chris not to ask for them to turn the life support back on. What was worse was the fact that he knew that he could save Nate - he had enough power at the moment - but Nate had made him promise not to. His friend understood that it was a draining process that couldn't be used to save everyone nor would it be worth using if it meant that their leader was compromised for the next few days if not weeks._

_So despite everything Chris kept his promise._

_Finally, a few hours later the time came, as Parker lay there quietly suckling his bottle, Victor slipped into the afterlife with Nathan following not too long after. So with tears slipping down his cheeks, Chris moved back next to Bianca grasping his hand in hers as he clutched the hilt of her dagger between their palms. Reminding both of them how much was still left to do._

"_I need you to fight now baby. I can't do this without you." Hearing Mel slip in behind him with Kyle he kept his protective glare to himself as he watched his half manticore best friend comfort his sister as she dealt with the conflicting emotions of grief and joy that came with weeping for two more members of their family all the while welcoming Parker into the world._

_Unable to let go of his baby just yet, Chris watched as Parker yawned causing him to do the same, sinking deeper into the chair as his brain longed for the break that was granted to him by sleep._

_:: :: :: :: ::_

_Chris couldn't help but chuckle as he held Parker securely in his lap watching as he ran his curious eyes over Peyton's bright pink face. Unlike last time Bianca was awake and seemed to be getting as much enjoyment from this scene as he was._

_They'd introduced Parker to his baby sister about two hours ago and all he'd done so far was look at her as if he was trying to sort out a puzzle. About an hour ago he'd used a mixture of telekinesis and shimmering to bring Peyton into his lap and now he'd started growling 'mine' anytime anyone got too close._

_Despite the fact that he was grateful that his daughter was safe and healthy he couldn't get his mind off Mel's latest mission. She was three months into an undercover operation in Wyatt's ranks and though she had no way of hiding who she was, Chris knew that Wyatt wanted Mel by his side almost as much as he wanted Chris there._

_It was that knowledge and only that knowledge that kept him from pulling his baby sister by her hair, kicking and screaming all the way back to the Resistance. Especially since she'd rushed into this without consulting him as she decided she needed vengeance for Kyle's recent death._

_Hearing Parker snore quietly from his lap, he gently lifted Peyton so she was resting against his chest. Casting his eyes around the room he spotted Layla one of the newer nurses and ushered her over. Gently placing Peyton in her capable hands, he pulled his son up from his lap and placed him under the blanket next to Bianca, his soon-to-be fiancée's hand running softly through his unruly hair._

_Taking Peyton back, he smiled as she easily curled into him, while a now half-asleep Bianca pulled Parker into her side, her arms enclosing him in a safe cocoon._

_Running his eyes over his baby girl's face, he saw a lot of distinct Halliwell features in her but was unable to drag his eyes away from the small splatter of freckles she had covering her nose - something that was undeniably Bianca._

_He knew that at nineteen he wasn't necessarily the best person to be the father of two even more so since he was the leader of the Resistance. However as Peyton gently brought her hand up to rest just above his neckline he felt a her love and knew everything was going to be okay, that Mel was going to be okay because she couldn't not meet her niece._

'_I love you too, make sure you take good care of Bianca and my little Parksicle. Oh and she's absolutely gorgeous, Chris. I'll be home as soon as I can.'_

_Chris breathed a sigh of relief as his sister's message rang through their bond loud and clear before it cut off again. Though he knew it was selfish of him he was grateful she'd broken their no contact rule as it gave him the reassurance he sought._

_The only worry he had now was Wyatt catching her train of thought but feeling that wall firmly in place, Chris knew they were safe for now. He remembered the last time he'd felt that wall crumble in this very same room. He knew that a sometimes telepathic connection with your little brother was not the best way to find out your grandfather died but he was just grateful he'd managed to catch himself before Wyatt found out about Parker._

_Smoothing down her soft hair, Chris got lost in his daughter's expressive eyes before they finally closed and she succumbed to sleep again. Drinking in the innocence his children held he felt his own exhaustion settle in as he finally calmed too._

_Leaning back in the chair, he cradled his daughter against his chest much like he had with Parker and slipped into a relatively easy, light sleep._

:: :: :: :: ::

_A rush of agony overwhelmed him as Wyatt's thoughts slipped into his mind uncontrolled. Dropping to his knees he prayed that it wasn't true but he knew there was no way Wyatt would be able to fake that._

_Even though his brother had taken out the entire family - some by his own hand - he had held steadfastly in the hope that he wouldn't hurt Mel but as the cruel, twisted thought entered his mind he finally accepted that the monster ruling most of the world was no longer the brother he once had._

_Feeling Bianca's arms wrap around his trembling form he knew that she knew what had happened. Ignoring the imploring eyes of various Resistance members, Chris allowed himself to be pulled closer as he lay his head on Bianca's chest and wept._

_Two small forms appeared in his arms and he heard their grief filled thoughts flow into his mind. Suddenly aware that the others were being herded out of the room, he pulled his eyes open and looked into the red rimmed ones of his Aunt Prue._

_The brash tone his uncle was using was fooling everyone else in attendance but Chris could see the hurt in his eyes behind the fiery rage. Closing his eyes again he breathed in his fiancée's comforting scent as he grieved for his sister and his brother all at once._

_Knowing the others were accustomed to seeing his Gramps' ghost wandering the halls of The Resistance when their leader needed him or when his great-grandkids wanted to play, he had no worries summoning him now and took comfort in the hand that clasped his shoulder gently._

_He felt his uncle's hand on his head and allowed the soft strokes to calm him enough that he didn't protest when they took Peyton and Parker into their own arms to allow him the time to properly grieve._

_Barely aware of Bianca's hushed words of comfort he felt himself retreating into the dark corners of his mind. He knew it was not heathy at all but it gave him the distance he needed and all he hoped was that Cole could keep the Resistance running while he fought to deal with this latest heartbreak._

_After all his baby sister was dead and he had no idea how to come back from that._

:: :: :: :: ::

_Chris felt his legs buckle as he watched Wyatt's higher ups wrap their hands firmly around his children's arms. The pressure in his lungs seemed to increase as he fought to breathe calmly despite the terror rising up in him. Never stopping his attacks he continued to race through Wyatt's army needing to get to his children._

_Though Bianca had taken over Mel's mission three months ago, he knew she wasn't yet high up enough to have heard about this and as such had no way of aiding their escape. She may have been an assassin who'd willingly gone after Chris many times in the past but she had yet to kill him and that would have definitely halted her progress._

_On the other hand Chris was fairly certain the monster himself would be along momentarily. It was amazing he'd kept his kids a secret this long but he knew that wasn't going to keep for long now but he sure as hell was going to keep trying._

"_Christopher, stop this insanity right now!" The cold, evil voice that managed to mimic Wyatt's inflection patterns had Chris frozen in place as he looked up at the golden haired man that stood between Chris and his children._

_Peering into his brother's eyes in the hope of seeing a spark of something in them he pulled back as if burned when his search proved futile. Ignoring the older man's advice, he threw his arm out sending another half of Wyatt's guard to hell._

_Gasping as the strength flowed out of him, Chris watched as Wyatt's right hand man prepared the heated poker - the 'R' symbol burning into Chris' irises as he watched it move to Wyatt's hand._

_Despite his lack of energy Chris resorted to good old mortal combat techniques using a series of moves to throw off his captors even as his eyes never left the poker. He was vaguely aware of the sick look of pleasure in Wyatt's eyes as he tossed the poker menacingly between his hands as he approached the children._

_With the brand inches away from Parker's skin Chris felt the tiny flame of hope he had left extinguish itself. 'No!', the word echoed in his mind the helplessness and failure he was feeling tangible in it, if only to himself._

_For a second Wyatt paused and looked back at Chris as if he'd heard his pleading thought but within seconds the hardened blue eyes returned and the sizzling of flesh sounded much too loud in the silence that followed._

_Chris could hear Parker's cries of agony in his head but his boy remained outwardly strong even as his skin melted away. Finally the brand was lifted and Chris heard only a whimper from Peyton as Wyatt headed to her._

_From his mental link, Chris could hear Parker trying to keep his sister distracted but with the way she was projecting her pain he knew it wasn't working._

_Wyatt thankfully kept Peyton's branding comparatively short - though he figured it had to do with the fact that half Wyatt's guard was lying on the floor in agony while Wyatt's own knees were beginning to knock together due to Peyton's strong projection._

_As Wyatt walked over to him, Chris never took his eyes off his children. Thankfully the guards were too distracted to notice Peyton and Parker clutching each other in a desperate attempt to make sure the newest glamouring potion stayed strong even as their energy quickly depleted itself in an attempt to locate the blissful, pain-free state of unconsciousness._

_Aware of Wyatt's shadow now blanketing him, Chris slowly moved his eyes to stare into the icy cold blue orbs that had once been a place of refuge. Keeping his gaze locked on Wyatt, Chris felt a small smirk flutter across his lips as the poker continued to burn his skin, the sizzling barely registering in Chris' ear as he watched Wyatt's anger rise._

_Sure he knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do but he had been powerless to do anything except watch as his children were branded and though it didn't make up for it the fact that he was now able to anger Wyatt made him feel something other than sorrow._

_Feeling the poker finally lift off his skin, he felt a wave of relief - though he knew not to show it - and instead his smirk grew again. His senses dulled due to the pain Chris didn't see the fist coming until it connected with his nose, knocking his head back against the concrete and finally his world turned to darkness._

:: :: :: :: ::

Chris' head pounded as he lifted it off the floor, glancing around in confusion as the attic of his family's home filled his vision. Surely that wasn't right, after all Wyatt had just successfully captured and branded him a 'traitor' after years of trying. Where was the torture, where were his kids… what was that gasping sound?

Turning his head to the side he caught sight of the sandy blonde hair he was very familiar with yet at the same time something was different. Pushing himself up, he quickly leant to the side dry retching as the pounding in his head grew worse.

Wiping his mouth, he looked around the trashed attic and felt his confusion lessen as his memories returned. Moving as quickly as he could to his brother, he pulled the blonde's head into his lap and once again willed himself to heal - yet just like every other time he was met with bitter disappointment.

Wyatt blinked up at Chris as his little brother continued to try and wipe the blood that leaked out of his mouth. He knew he was dying and more importantly he knew there was nothing Chris could do to stop it. He watched with almost morbid fascination as he saw his other half dying in the future, Excalibur lying next to him while the child he'd been about to kill now cowering in the corner as Prue and Cole healed and sheltered her.

Grabbed Wyatt's face between his hands Chris tried to get his brother to focus, tears forming in his eyes as he saw the acceptance in his brother's gaze. "You can't give up Wy."

Ignoring Chris' statement Wyatt gathered the strength that he had and tried to apologize for what had happened. "He looks just like you." Wyatt chuckled as he remembered what the boy had said to him in the chamber and added a bit more. "Has your wit too." Coughing up some more blood he winced as the move caused more pain to stab through him.

Mel orbed into the attic after dropping the others off at Natalie's.

She knew that they wanted to make sure Chris was okay for themselves but the same gut feeling that told Mel she had to come alone told the others they had to stay back. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Wyatt's head cradled in Chris' lap, his hair streaked with blood from where Chris had given up trying to press Wyatt's wound and instead tried to calm his dying brother by running his hand through his hair.

"W-what are their n-names?" Wyatt bit down on his bottom lip in a desperate attempt to keep his teeth from chattering against each other again. Subtly burying his face further into Chris' lap, Wyatt fought the urge to sleep as he tried to in vain to warm up with his brother's help.

Flicking his eyes to Mel as she grabbed one of Wyatt's hands firmly in her own, Chris began to answer knowing that the brother he was always supposed to have was the one asking now. "Parker's seven and a half, he's pretty stubborn but he'd do anything to save his sister. Peyton's my baby girl, she's just turned seven but sometimes it seems as if the two of them are older than anyone else I know." Pausing he forced through the lump in his throat as he let his resentment colour his next words. "But you nearly broke them - you nearly broke their spirit."

Pulling his hand back to wipe at the tears that had leaked out of his eyes Chris tried to remember that his brother was dying and that this was not the time to be laying into him but even with all that he knew this was something both of them needed to hear.

"I'm so sorry Chris. So sorry." Wyatt's apologies were broken up by the gurgling of blood in his throat but he knew they got through without fail. "I let you down, both of you. And I know this is such a selfish thing to ask but I need you to let me die." Wyatt paused, his breathing was becoming even more laboured but he needed to make sure his siblings understood why he was asking what he was, he owed them at least that much. "I won't be able to live remembering what happened… how much innocent blood - how much of our family's blood - is on my hands.

Seeing Chris' head shake as he tried to deny doing what Wyatt asked of him, Wyatt turned to Mel knowing she'd be able to do this and take care of Chris afterwards. Chris' biggest strength and weakness was his ability to care and no matter how often Wyatt exploited that it was still something he admired but right now it was not going to work in his favor.

"My evil self cast a spell a few weeks ago to keep my memories intact even as Chris and you continued to change the past and the only way around it is for me to die. I can't live with the knowledge of what I did to my niece and nephew, my cousins, aunts and other innocents on my shoulders. It's selfish and cowardly but I'm not like the two of you. I wouldn't be able to come back from this and I don't want any chance of me returning to my throne if it's easier than feeling all this."

Grabbing Chris' hand in her own, Mel clutched her brothers' hands against her chest as she tried to sort through her grief. She'd long ago convinced herself that as long as she wasn't the one to kill Wyatt she'd manage if he died but at this moment she knew that was the biggest lie she'd ever told herself. "I love you." Wyatt and Chris echoed her sentiment as she bent down placing a kiss on his sweat covered forehead waiting for his breathing to stop before she closed his eyes for good.

Hearing Chris' sobs accompany her own, Mel curled against Chris as she wept. Feeling familiar arms encase her shaking frame as Wyatt's body finally disappeared, Mel felt all the fight leave her body and desperately clutched onto the comfort her aunt offered.

Paige ran her hand across Chris' back as she felt his tears soak into her blouse. Murmuring quietly to the grieving siblings as she rested her chin on the crown of the girl's head she waited patiently as they passed through the initial pain of their loss and realized who was holding them.

Unsurprisingly Chris pulled away first.

Letting him go, Paige simply pulled the girl closer towards her as she looked into Chris' agonized green eyes seeing the confusion and embarrassment in them "Chris-"

"I'm sorry."

Chris' words were abrupt, causing Paige's frown to deepen while the girl only sobbed harder. Running a hand gently through her long hair, Paige wished she knew the girl's name so she could at least comfort her more. Settling instead for rocking her gently, she gestured with her other hand for Chris to sit down again, fighting a smirk when he did just that.

"What on earth do you have to be sorry about Christopher?"

Unable to help the wince at his full name, Chris knew he was about five seconds away from his aunt slapping him across the back of the head out of pure frustration. He knew that he was apologizing for crying on her but as he watched her comfort Mel he knew that would probably be the worst answer to give his aunt. Instead he shrugged as he moved slightly closer to her unconsciously seeking out the comfort he'd always received from her in the past.

Pressing a kiss to the crown of his head as it finally rested on her shoulder, Paige looked at the once blood soaked rug and floorboards and wondered how it was possibly fair that they had to feel such strong and painful emotions when there was no evidence that the event that caused them even happened. "I have such a strong and brave nephew but you know it's okay to let us see you hurting Chris, we won't use it against you."

Chris looked up at her, the exhaustion of the past year and a half finally showing itself on his face. In a time where everyone was so comparatively open with their feelings it had been so hard to keep it all bottled up inside when all he wanted to do was go and cry to his mummy about how unfair it all was.

Having never intended to lie to them if they ever straight up asked him if he was their nephew or Wyatt's brother, Chris saw no need to now especially since right now he needed his Aunt Paige more than anything. "How long have you known?"

Paige's voice was just as soft as Chris' as she tried to keep the pain she was feeling on his behalf out of her voice. "I guess I've always known a little, it never sat right with me what we did to you but I was angry that you were keeping something important from us- from me, something that I knew would affect out relationship. But I've known for sure since just before the astral plane when you were dying because Leo got impatient. It physically hurt to leave the room when you were in so much pain but I knew Grams needed us gone so she could help you. I'd venture a guess that I was just too stubborn earlier to admit what my heart was trying to tell me because really, everything about you screams Halliwell."

Mel rested her head against her Aunt's collarbone as she listened to the quiet conversation. "Why didn't you say anything."

Uncertain how to respond when she heard the insecurity in her niece's voice she knew she had to tread carefully. "It wasn't my place. Chris obvious had his reasons for not wanting us to know and I respected that, no matter how much I knew it was hurting all of us."

Knowing his Aunt Paige was almost honest to a fault, Chris nodded his head at her answer.

Finally able to compartmentalize again, Chris turned to Mel and asked her what he needed to know. "Where's Sigmond?" He'd noticed Gideon's sidekick had been suspiciously absent during their battle and figured he was probably put on guard duty.

"Dead." The blunt answer caused Paige to snort, grateful to see she obviously had some kind of future impact on these two. "Well technically just non-corporeal. He's meeting with The Tribunal at the moment. Apparently he'd been trying to warn us when Gideon killed him and he was well aware of what the backlash would be if - as he highly suspected - Gideon failed and ended up dead." Rolling her eyes as she quickly finished her sentence, Mel was unable to keep her disbelief out of her tone. "He's trying to fulfill some bullshit about atoning for his sins before he moves on after he's released from the blood crystal, but honestly with the crap he's pulled it would probably take a Century or two to completely confess to every sin from being Gideon's right hand let alone atone for them."

Shaking his head at Mel's frustrated rant, Chris' chuckle was cut off by the familiar pull on his magic - his mini self telling him it was time to go. As he called the others here from Natalie's he pulled his Aunt into a hug and handed her a stack of letters knowing they were the only real hope the lot of them had at staying sane - though Chris had to admit it was kind of weird to write a letter to his past-self to be given at a future point in time.

Seeing the uncertainty in her eye, Chris smiled warmly at her. "You'll know when to give them to their respective owners." Pressing a kiss to her check he looked her over one more time knowing it was the person Paige became during 2004 that truly started her transition into his Aunt. "I love you Aunt Paige."

Paige's heart clenched as she realised this was the first and last time she'd hear that from Chris for a long while. Turning to his sister, she pulled the girl into a hug, marveling at how weird it was to be hugging a niece that has not even been thought of yet. "Goodbye honey, don't worry you'll all get through this - I'll even try extra hard not to die this time."

Mel nodded and wiped a tear that fell from Paige's eye. "I know you will." Turning back to the others she smiled as she saw Peyton and Parker searching Chris for any serious injuries even as he tried to do the same to them.

Wrapping her arm around Belle's shoulder she smiled down at her younger cousin who for once actually looked her age with a giant carefree smile on her face and all.

Belle watched as Peyton seemed to give up and simply threw her arms around her dad's neck instead causing Parker to do the same. As she turned to go join in the hug she was startled when she felt Paige's hand wrap around her wrist. Looking up curiously at her intuitive Aunt, she was not all that surprised by the question that slipped through the youngest Charmed Ones' lips.

"You're Prue and Cole's daughter aren't you?"

Sparing a glance at Chris as she thought of the complexity that was her conception, Belle smiled once at Paige and leaned slightly closer as if she were about to share a secret. "Yes, I guess you could say that."

With that said she turned and skipped over to Chris bowling him over in a hug as Chris' little devils took her place in front of Paige.

Feeling their Aunt Mel's hand on their shoulders, Peyton and Parker got the jolt of confidence they needed as they hugged Paige tightly. "You have to take care of Natalie alright. She's very important to us and you can't just ignore her until Daddy's memories come back and he seeks her out."

Hearing the serious tone in their voices, Paige nodded knowing it wouldn't exactly be a chore to have another friend - especially one who knew and practiced magic.

The tug returned with an even stronger force and Chris gritted his teeth as he knew baby him was about to get what he so desperately wanted. "Come on, let's go before mini-me gets all my powers. Oh and you should definitely get to the hospital soon, Piper will be wondering where you were."

Gathering into a circle they looked down where their family symbol hovered just above the floorboards, feeling the magic pulse around it.

Chris felt the chain of magic run through them as they concentrated on their goal. With a echoing voice that sounded much louder than it ought, Chris started chanting.

"_I call upon the ancient power_

_to aid us in this newfound hour._

_Two of me there can not be,_

_send us home now with a leap."_

Paige watched as the symbol got larger and moved up the circle almost as if it were scanning them, then before she could blink, they were gone. The only evidence of them even being there was the letters Chris had wrote in one hand and Natalie's address in the other.

Orbing back to the hospital she arrived just in time for Leo to walk almost in a daze out of the delivery room a half smile breaking onto his face.

"How is she?" Paige's question had Leo's smile blooming across his face, his eyes dazzling with joy as he plucked Wyatt from Phoebe's arms.

"She's great and he's beautiful."

"He?" Phoebe's excitement was palpable as she hurried over to the doors to try to peak through at her new nephew. It seemed that even though she had a vision that told her how cute her nephew was going to be she was still surprised it had come to fruition. "What did you name him?"

"Actually we named him after Chris. After all he's done for us Piper figured it was appropriate. Where is he anyway?"

Paige raised an eyebrow at Leo's new attitude towards their whitelighter and wondered what would happen when Chris reached an old enough age for them to understand that they'd named him after himself. Phoebe simply looked around as if expecting the brunette to pop up behind the waiting chairs.

"He's, um… gone." Paige's words were quiet as she fingered the edge of one of the envelopes in her purse. Seeing their expectant expressions Paige looked down as she scuffed her shoe on the floor. "Wyatt came back from the future, saved Chris, showed that Chris had saved him and now he's gone home."

Phoebe felt her eyes water as she realised she'd likely not see her whitelighter again - how many Chris Perry's could there be in the future and what if by coming to the past he'd accidentally changed his name, then she'd really have no way of finding him. "He didn't even say goodbye."

Wyatt confused by his aunt's sadness and eager to see Chris again orbed straight onto his mother's lap ignoring his father's cry of surprise. Pulling his brother closer, Wyatt smiled as the same green eyes he saw just a while ago looked up at him with wonder. "Kwis."

Seeing Wyatt's acceptance of his younger brother had Piper's heart soaring as she thought of one obstacle she didn't have to worry about right now. Smiling as her new baby boy wrapped his hand around her finger, she peered down at him getting lost in his green eyes again.

They looked so familiar and while it was easy to simply say they were Leo's eyes it was something else. There was a look of pure knowledge that called to her as if mocking her struggle to remember where she'd seen them before.

As she listened to Wyatt gurgle Chris' name over and over, it clicked.

Her heart broke as she thought of the fact that she'd always been insistent that unlike her mother and Grams, if her children ever came to the past she'd recognize them. Yet one of them had been right in front of her for over eighteen months and she'd not had even an inkling. Well that's not entirely true, there were all those times she felt motherly towards him and pushed them aside before acting the opposite just to spite those feelings.

Feeling her eyes water as she realised how much she had failed and how much he must hate her, she softly called out for their whitelighter desperately waiting for the chimes to sound.

Dread pooled in her stomach as nothing happened - not like she expected it to given how she'd treated him and as a small sob left her throat she pulled her boys closer to her needing their comfort to keep from falling apart. Finally hearing the familiar chime, her head snapped up the hopeful look on her face falling when she saw it was just Paige.

"Sorry, they doctors say we're supposed to let you rest but I wanted to see my nephews." Paige quickly crossed over to the bed, ruffling Wyatt's hair as she gently stroked Chris' cheek.

Unable to help herself Piper burst into tears at Paige's words, her sweaty hair capturing the tears once they reached her shoulders.

Though Paige was sure Piper would likely blame her reaction on the hormones, Paige was getting that feeling that told her now was the time to give out Chris' first letter. With a sigh, she pressed a kiss to her older sister's forehead and took baby Chris from Piper as Wyatt came and joined her in the chair next to the bed. "You figured it out."

Seeing the pained disbelief that crossed Piper's face, Paige smiled sadly before pulling the letter from her bag. The neat '_Mum'_ scrawled on the front made Paige smile as she placed it in Piper's hand.

"He wanted you to have this."

Piper immediately opened the envelope being careful not to rip any of it, she had a feeling she'd be reading this many times over the following months and years.

_Dear Mum,_

_I had a feeling it was not going to take you long to figure out who I am. I know that you probably think that I hate you but that couldn't be further from the truth. Sure I might not have liked how you treated me but it was my choice to keep my identity a secret not yours. If Aunt Paige has given you this letter than it means she did what I always figured she would and worked out who I am._

_Don't be mad at her for not telling you, it's what I wanted and she has always stood by me even when it's not my best decision._

_I know this is going to be hard but I need you to understand that none of this is your fault. Wyatt turning evil was not because of you or __Leo__ Dad it was because of Gideon and his selfishness and don't let anyone - especially those Elder's tell you otherwise._

_You were the best mum a kid could have and never doubt how much I loved you but it was not right for you to know my identity. Who you were in 2004 helped make you the mother I always respected and I was not going to change that just to convenience myself._

_I need you to do me two favours and they both kind of relate back to one thing. You cannot under any circumstances tell Leo who I am, my new baby self deserves a better relationship with him than I had and this could be that chance. Secondly he must not hear about Gideon from you, I don't know what would happen but I know it will be bad._

_I have no doubt that Gideon ultimately paid for his actions and that the result of that will impact the Elders but it's their responsibility now. Instead I want you to focus on getting better. I know you will probably downplay how much pain you are in - both physical and emotional - but the doctors are keeping you in the hospital for a reason so please get well._

_I'll see you again in twenty-four years give or take a few months._

_Love always,_

_Chris._

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Piper couldn't help but think that it was such as Chris thing to do that he kept any future references out of his goodbye letter - even his return date was relatively vague.

Feeling Paige's hand on her arm, Piper looked over at her baby sister and smiled uneasily. "How long have you known?"

Paige couldn't help but chuckle as Piper asked her the same question Chris had not an hour ago. Rubbing her hand up and down Piper's arm in some attempt at comfort she gave her older sister a condensed version of what she'd told Chris. "A while."

"And you didn't tell him?"

"What do you think? That boy's the most stubborn Halliwell I've ever met, you'll definitely have your hands full with that one." Paige contemplated adding a 'Grandma' to the end of that but figured she'd give Chris a few more years before he ended up grounded for life.

With a smile on her face, Piper watched as Paige settled back into the chair, rocking baby Chris in her arms as Wyatt slept, his head resting on her lap. She knew Paige was not lying when she said she'd have her hands full but as she watched Leo and Phoebe sneak in the good old human way she knew she'd be fine with her family beside her.

**A/N I know I may have made a few errors in the previous chapters regarding Peyton and Parker's age but given in my world at least they've been in the past for a year and a half and they were introduced as four (and a half - in my mind their 18 months apart) and six it seems fitting that they've had a few birthdays that have not been shown. When I eventually go back and fix the small grammatical and story errors I've made that's one I'll take care of. I'm also aware some of you may not be as picky as I am regarding these small things and if so ignore this whole rant.**

**Only the epilogue to go. Ready to see the new future? If anyone's got some specific things they'd like to see after sticking with me for so long let me know and I'll try to incorporate them. ~ Gabz**


	25. Epilogue

"Daddy!" The cry from down the hall had Chris shooting up in bed but as he quickly sensed the state of kids he relaxed again, closing his eyes as a small grin flickered across his face. Waiting patiently for their arrival, Chris let his hand run across Bianca's shoulder to give his wife a moment of warning before Peyton landed on them.

Hearing the patter of socked feet through the house, he knew they were getting closer and let out a large snore just to play the part. Peyton and Parker's laughs echoed from the doorframe at the sound but it barely halted their steps as they continued to advance.

"Umph!" Chris' groan was out of his mouth without permission as the two landed solidly on his chest.

Peeking out from under an eyelid, Chris fought to stifle his laugh at the the state of his kids - they appeared to be caught somewhere between the pajama stage and school attire stage - apparently whatever it was just couldn't wait until they were dressed. Parker had his tie slung around his neck while his pajama shirt was half unbuttoned and while Peyton on first glance appeared closer to ready, he quickly noticed that she had her dinosaur slippers on and seemed to be missing her skirt though the shirt she had on was big enough to be a dress.

"Daddy, guess what." Peyton's voice echoed around the room, rousing Bianca from her light slumber as she too peered at their kids.

"Um, spongebob finally revealed the secret ingredient in the crabby patty?"

Parker shook his head at his father's joke wondering why it was that they were still making the goofy cartoon. Tugging on Peyton's pigtails as she looked at their dad like he may have finally lost his mind, he succeeded in getting her attention before she poked her tongue out at him and turned back to their dad.

Feeling an arm wrap around his stomach Parker let himself be pulled between his parents as he snuggled under the covers, shaking his head to clear his vision as his hair rested in front of his eyes.

"No. I got a new power." Peyton laughed at the excited but worried look on her parents face.

Spotting the water on her parent's dresser, Peyton felt her lips curl into a smile. Focusing her energy she watched as the glass moved shakily towards them, turning her head to see the proud smile on her father's face she heard the glass shatter as it hit the ground and immediately looked back to confirm her fear.

"Oops. Sorry."

Chris smiled as he pulled Peyton down next to her brother and turned back over to go back to sleep, knowing his kids as well as he did, he knew it was very likely the sun wasn't even up yet.

Sighing as he thought back to the dream he had last night, he somehow knew this would be the last one. He recalled the blood that had matted his brother's hair but he quickly pushed it from his mind, instead focusing on the fact that Wyatt had gotten his wish. For all intents and purposes Wyatt was the best big brother a guy could ask for and given that his family had distanced themselves quite a bit from the elders he was able to be the twice blessed and still have a relatively mortal double life.

He knew his kids, Belle and Mel all had the same dreams - memories if you will of an alternate time line - but with the exception of Mel they were young enough that they didn't remember them in the morning. The only subconscious benefit that came from them was that they didn't freak out when they discovered they had a talent that was unusually developed for their age or gained and mastered a new power faster than anyone else in their family.

In a way it was a blessing, they got to live a better life without all the baggage but at the same time, he was well aware that the part of them that remembered the power or skill they had, occasionally reared it's head at the worst time. Like that day six months ago when Wyatt had dropped a plate and Parker, Peyton and Belle had immediately moved into defensive positions. He was just grateful they'd gotten past that with only a few visits to Enola - who had quickly adapted to her role as the family'd shrink.

"Don't think to hard or your face will freeze that way." Cole's voice drifted over to them and that was all it took to have his kids running.

"Uncle Cole!" Parker rushed up to his favourite uncle wondering why he was here. Scrunching up his nose as Peyton pushed in front of him, he pulled her back by her shirt and was once again in the lead.

Only a hair's breadth away from Parker, Peyton used her new found power to trip her brother and laughed as he quickly fell down. Distracted she didn't notice the barely perceptible shimmer until it was too late and quickly found herself on her butt beside her brother with Belle's tinkling laugh echoing back from behind her father. "No fair."

Belle inched around her dad and chucked the parcel she had in her hand at Chris. "Happy Birthday Cuz." Turning back to Peyton she bent down so she was nose to nose with the younger girl and let her smirk blossom across her face. "I'm fairly certain it was fair. You tripped Parks, I tripped you and I found it hilarious."

After pulling Peyton in to a hug she turned to Parker confused when she saw he was still lying on the ground. "Hey Parks, you okay?"

Easing him into a sitting position she held her gasp at the blood that was leaking from his hand and instead quickly moved him to the en suite bathroom. Washing the blood away with a hand towel, she pulled his hand away from his face surprised at the smile he was sporting as he refused to open his fist.

Shaking her head in annoyance Belle opened her mouth to berate him when he finally spat out enough blood to show her that the tooth which had been loose for months had finally been knocked out.

Ruffling his hair, she plucked the tooth from his now uncurled fist and put it on a tissue. "Okay kiddo, you finish up in here and then hurry up and get changed or we're all going to be late."

Cole watched as his daughter inched back into the room seemingly not aware that she was muttering out loud or shaking her head and couldn't help but recall the number of times he found Prue doing the exact same thing.

"Come on Pey, let's go finish getting you ready for school, the sooner we're there the sooner we can come home." Picking herself up off the floor, Peyton shuffled after Belle dejectedly. She'd caught sight of the bloody mess her brother had tried to hide and it made her feel terrible for laughing. Caught up in her thoughts she didn't start picking up her speed until Parker sent her a message through their link telling her what happened and then she reminded him that this meant that he owed her one.

Cole moved a bit closer in and smiled softly at his nephew's disheveled form. "You know Prue can only hold off your mother for so long right. I'm fairly certain if Piper had it her way your mother was going to be here with breakfast long before the sun rose." Cole's words were filled with a fondness that would have seemed so strange twenty years earlier but now everything was pretty much as it was supposed to be and he was proud of the bond he'd formed with the bossiest Charmed One.

Sitting up, Chris carded a hand through his hair as he looked over at Bianca who had somehow managed to fall back asleep and stay that way through all the commotion. Quickly moving around the bed, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead as he pulled her from her sleep. Helping her sit up, he lay his hand gently over her rounding middle and smiled as their baby kicked back in response.

"Hey baby, you being good for mummy?" Feeling the responding kick, Chris smiled as he noticed it was a little softer than before.

Cole sighed as he watched Chris interact with his unborn baby. As he met his nephew's emerald eyes that were shining with innocent wonder it was hard to remember that he was no longer a little boy himself.

Hearing the chuckling next to him, Cole turned his head not surprised to see Paige next to him as she mockingly handed him a tissue.

"You big softy, who'd have ever thought that you were _the_ Source of all Evil." Gently bumping her shoulder against his Paige looked over at her brother-in-law knowing sometimes it was harder on Prue and him to see Chris growing up than it was on Piper and Leo.

Slowly creeping up to the two who were still lost in their own little bubble, Paige pushed her hair behind her ear as she ruffled Chris' hair earning a look of frustration from the boy. Ignoring him, she helped Bianca rest against the pillow as she quickly fluttered around the room searching for an appropriate outfit for the tired, pregnant woman.

"Don't look at me like that Christopher. I thought you'd like to know Prue held your mother off as long as she could but they're on their way here now. Luckily Piper's insistence on doing things as 'normally' as possible sometimes is working in our favour. But that still doesn't give us much time. So vite, vite Birthday Boy."

Hearing another crash from down the hall, Chris groaned as he thought of all the ways his two little devils could have gotten hurt or broken something irreplaceable this time.

"I'm okay!" Peyton's loud call had Chris shaking his head as he glanced at Bianca knowing his amusement would be echoed on her face.

Even so, he frowned slightly as he knew he had to get Peyton under control before she ended up breaking half the house as she tested her new power. "Five minute time out!"

Feeling the magic coursing through his body, Chris welcomed the familiar swell of emotions that accompanied it and wondered how many other magical parents would kill to get their hands on a magical time out spell.

"But Dad-" Whatever else Peyton was going to say was cut off and Chris was happy Parker or Belle had managed to get her in time before he had to dole out more punishments. Bianca and he generally had a pretty relaxed punishment scheme as most of the time it was too risky if a demon ever showed up but given the number of people around the house at the moment he figured it wasn't too bad at the moment.

Helping Bianca into her clothes, Chris smiled as Paige chucked an outfit his way and told him to do something about his hair before his mother arrived. Watching as his wife waddled out of the room using Cole and Paige as walking sticks, Chris chuckled to himself before he moved into the bathroom and set about taming the birds nest on his head.

As he made his way into the parlor, he smiled at the sight of Paige and Cole trying to see if the baby would kick on command. Stopping to press his lips to the crown of Bianca's head, Chris ambled into the kitchen wincing at what seemed like an explosion of ingredients that lined the counter. The smell of burning tickled his nose and Chris quickly stepped in to make sure that whatever his kids tried to make would survive the cooking process.

"Oh no, you weren't supposed to see." Casting his eyes back towards the sad voice, he chuckled at the sight of Peyton with her brush hanging from her hair and moved to the side as Parker approached the sink and spat the rest of his toothpaste out his green eyes also downcast.

"Surprise!" Turning to the other doorway he was surprised to see Wyatt exiting from the laundry buttoning up a fresh shirt that Chris recognized as his own. Chris knew Wyatt must have had a hand in this as well.

"Uncle Wyatt, it didn't work. You let it burn." Parker's lips twitched downwards as he glanced at the somewhat charred cake.

Chris smirked as the messy kitchen made much more sense now. Watching as his kids interacted with Wyatt as they all cleaned up and tried to place the blame on one another, the ball of worry that had been steadily growing since his kids were old enough to start carrying an echo of their dreams dissipated. This was how things were supposed to be.

The bright smile that crossed Wyatt's face as he scooped his niece and nephew up was a sight for sore eyes. Over the last few months in particular, it had been hard to continue making up excuses as to why his two favourite kids had stopped responding to him. Yet as he picked them up now he knew it was going to be alright.

"I tried to talk them out of it, but it appears all three have the Halliwell stubbornness ingrained in them." Mel shook her head mockingly as she wrapped her arms around her brother in a breath squishing hug. "I don't know how Bianca handles you all."

Catching sight of the engagement ring on her finger, Chris smiled as he recalled the fact that Derek - despite being one of his best friends - still blanched at the threats both Nate and he had thrown out when they'd discovered his intention to propose to Mel. Of course he then recalled dragging Nate off of the bar stool at P3 at four o'clock in the morning when his other best friend had finally realised that Mel was serious about Derek and he was never going to stand a chance. Finally he chuckled as the expression that had crossed Nate's face when he'd finally introduced Nate to Natalie and Jake's daughter Lacie.

Wondering when his life had turned into an after-school special, Chris shook his head and reminded himself to express his thanks to his friends when he saw them today. No one could ever claim that his life - even when magic wasn't involved - was boring.

Reaching into the fridge he quickly pulled out his kids lunches and looked up to see that they had finally finished getting ready and were now holding out a lit, if somewhat slanted birthday cake.

"Make a wish dad."

Blowing out the candles, Chris made a show of closing his eyes and when he reopened them he found Peyton with her nose basically touching his.

"What'd you wish for daddy?"

Shaking his head, Chris put his fingers to his lips fighting to keep his resolve in place when Peyton pouted slightly.

"Pey, you know he can't tell you or else it doesn't come true.'

Peyton looked up at her aunt, skepticism heavily sketched onto her face even as she nodded and back away from her father.

Chuckling at the look on her face, Chris bent down as he beckoned Parker closer. Placing a hand on each of their shoulders he smiled softly. "I'm so proud of both of you. This has been the best birthday breakfast yet." Catching sight of the confused expression on Parker's face, Chris simply smiled again. "Yes, I know it's burnt and I haven't actually tasted any of it yet but it's the thought that counts."

Straightening up he pushed them in the direction of the parlor. "Go say bye to your mother and then Uncle Wyatt will take you to school."

Watching as they rushed to do exactly what Chris said, Wyatt shook his head in amusement. "You know little bro, if it wasn't for the fact that you look like you haven't slept in years I'd call you on that."

Mel scoffed as she walked closer to the pair, snacking on the frosting from the cupboard as she did so. "Oh come on, we all know you were going to do it anyway. It's right up your gift alleyway. Honestly your almost as bad as Aunt Phoebe."

"Hey!" Hearing the indignant call from the doorway, Mel had the decency to blush. "I think I'm getting better, last years Christmas gifts were alright, weren't they?"

Chris quickly stepped forward and took the fruit platters from his aunt's arms, smiling slightly even as she pinched his cheeks in the way she'd been doing since he was a baby. Looking back at the fruit he eyed the sliced banana with a bit of wariness. Even after all these years a fruit platter was the only thing the family felt alright assigning to Phoebe - it was particularly difficult to mess up a fruit platter. Not that she hadn't managed in the past.

Seeing the out he needed as Mel continued to stammer under their aunt's expectant gaze, Wyatt quickly sidestepped his Uncle Coop with a clap on the shoulder and stopped to give his aunt a welcoming kiss on the cheek before he moved out of firing range.

Coop stopped next to Chris as he tried to help the younger man salvage what was left of the cake but there was only so much they could do. "She's really backed herself into a corner this time hasn't she."

Laughing at his Uncle's words, Chris took pity on his sister. Quickly moving over to Phoebe, he wrapped her arms around her shoulders and proceeded to distract her long enough that she didn't protest when they moved from the kitchen.

Henry sighed in relief as he finally made it up the steps of the Chris' house. Letting himself in using his key, he shuffled into the parlor and spotted Cole and his wife in another one of their standoffs. Pressing a kiss to her hair, he reassured her that the kids had made it to school alright before he dropped into one of the armchairs and was dead to the world.

Shaking his head at the sight his son-in-law made, Victor wrapped Paige into a warm hug as they both peered over at her sleeping husband. "Joey finally gave in and helped us out. Marco's going away for life, the rest of his gang died in the fire and Joey's agreed to get help. Your man really gave it his all this time."

The proud smile that blossomed across Paige's face was undeniable. Sure she'd be the first to admit that sometimes like last night she gets lonely. And at times she struggles to explain to the kids why, once again, daddy wasn't going to be home for dinner and that hopefully they would get to see him before they had to go to school the next day. However despite all that there was no one who would be able to deny the fact that Henry loves his job and the fact that he still helps the kids that come into the station instead of climbing the corporate ladder were the reasons she was still in love with him despite the unpredictable hours.

Hearing three sets of feet running down the stairs accompanied by yells of goodbye the adults all held back their laughs knowing that there was no way Peyton, Parker or Belle were going to make it on time especially with Wyatt driving. Still they wished them luck.

"Grandma!" Piper looked up just in time as she found her legs tangled up with two small arms wrapped around them. Ruffling Peyton's hair, she smiled as Parker waited for her to regain her balance before he too gave her a hug. Running her hand through Wyatt's hair, she tuttered at the length but allowed him to give her a quick kiss before rounding the little trouble makers up at heading to the car.

Preparing to take another step, it was only Prue's quick reflexes that kept Piper on her feet as Belle blew right past them.

"Sorry Aunt Piper, sorry Mum. Got to go, we're already late." Waving her daughter away, Prue picked up some of the bags she'd put down to steady her sister and followed Piper into the house.

"Look at him, my baby, all grown up." Piper had tears filling her eyes as she placed her things down and scooped Chris into the mama bear of all hugs.

Prue nodded in agreement as she looked over her brave charge and saw a peacefulness in him that had been missing for the last few years. It seemed that whatever it was that they had all known had been building was either fixed or finally dealt with. And it made her breathe a little easier seeing him so at ease.

Sitting on top of the Golden Gate Bridge, far away from prying human eyes a slightly older and mortal Leo sat, tears streaming down his face as he read the letter Paige had left him up there with, two hours ago. Reading over it again, he ran his hand across the page, wincing at the smudged ink that had resulted from his tears. As he recalled the things said in the letter, the events recalled, the harsh words re-spoken, Leo wondered how it was possible that Chris had it in him to forgive him, how he had been able to hope for a better relationship between the two of them when it was obvious his counterpart had been an evil, soul sucking bastard who'd gotten the Elders killed and been the turning point in Wyatt's war. Chris' pain had been visible in the harsh lines of the neat script and it was taking everything in Leo to not go running to his boy right now. As it was he stayed put knowing he needed to sort everything out before he tried to contact Chris, after all his son had been successful in giving them the second chance they needed and he wasn't going to ruin that just to ease his guilt.

Chris' eyebrows furrowed as he felt a dull sadness was over him. Shaking his head to clear it, he quickly scanned the room making sure everyone was alright before dismissing it as part of his paranoia and re-focusing on his mother's warm, concerned gaze.

Grasping both his upper arms tightly, Piper looked into her boy's eyes and smiled. "There you are." Smiling warmly at him, she pressed her lips to his forehead recalling that first day back in the hospital and what she'd said once she'd finally been alone with her emerald eyed boy. "I promise everything is going to be alright." And just as he had back then, Chris' wandering eyes flicked back to hers and he smiled as he allowed her faith to fill him with ease. "And if it's not, I know two - soon to be three - little devils that would go to bat for you without a second thought."

Smiling at his mother, Chris stepped back slightly and let his hand rest on Bianca's swollen midsection as a snore from Henry cut through the peaceful silence. Chris was unable to help his laugh and as the entire family gave in alongside him, Chris knew things were going to end up fine in the end.

- THE END -

**A/N Hoped you all enjoyed it, it was definitely wonderful to be able to go through this with all of you loyal readers and reviewers. Sorry it took me so long to get the end out but I wanted it to be perfect.**

**I'll eventually be going through and cleaning it up in terms of grammar, storyline (though that won't change too much), consistency and continuity but that will be a slow process but I'll let you all know when I finish it.**

**Anyway as I said I hope you liked it and yes this is the end. Thanks for everything**

**Gabz**


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